According to Reuters, President Xi Jinping on Sunday said China will give priority to environmental protection and promoting green lifestyles, and that the conservation of nature was an essential part of building a modern socialist country.
In a speech opening the twice-a-decade ruling Communist Party Congress, Xi said China had made progress in tackling environmental problems over the last 10 years and vowed to “basically eliminate” heavy air and water pollution while bringing soil contamination under control.
“Ecological and environmental protection has undergone a historical, transformational and comprehensive change – our motherland’s skies are bluer, the mountains are greener and the water is clearer,” Xi told more than 2,300 delegates.
Reversing the damage done by decades of breakneck economic growth has been one of China’s major policy objectives during Xi’s decade in power. He warned in 2018 any failure to tackle pollution could be used as an “excuse” for hostile forces to undermine Communist Party rule.
Photo: Tingshu wang / Reuters
