Nation will promote green Belt and Road

China will proactively participate in global ecological management and promote the green development of the Belt and Road Initiative, VicePremier Han Zheng said on Friday.

China has firmly established the concept of green development and has the capability to address prominent environmental problems, Han said at the opening of the Annual General Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

The council is a high-level international body composed of officials and experts from home and abroad that gives policy advice to the Chinese government. The theme for this year’s annual meeting is “Innovation for Green New Era”.

Han, also chairman of the council, said China has accelerated institutional reform and improved the legal system to achieve historic, transitional and comprehensive changes in ecological and environmental protection.

The country will vigorously implement the development strategy driven by innovation and advance supply-side structural reform to promote high-quality economic growth and high-level ecological and environmental protection, he said.

Han said China will endeavor to address prominent environmental problems that threaten people’s health and will resolutely fight ecological violations.

Catherine McKenna, executive vice-chairwoman of the council and Canada’s minister of environment and climate change, said China’s ambition of building an ecological civilization and a beautiful China is providing a new approach that focuses on harmonious coexistence between people and nature.

She said this year’s meeting will help ensure that leaders and influencers in China and around the world have the knowledge, science and evidence that the world needs to make the best decisions for the planet and mankind.

Li Ganjie, China’s ecology and environment minister and also the council’s executive vice-chairman, called on the council’s members to share their knowledge, experiences and wisdom to help the council make greater contributions to the construction of a beautiful China and a clean and beautiful world.

The country will vigorously implement the development strategy driven by innovation.