Vice premier pledges "ecological progress"

Source:Xinhua Published: 2012-12-13 9:49:32

 

Chinese Vice Premier <a href=Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the opening of the 2012 Annual General Meeting of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2012. Photo: Xinhua" src="http://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2011/295ae860-3d09-439e-985d-d73e84b451d7.jpeg">
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the opening of the 2012 Annual General Meeting of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 12, 2012. Photo: Xinhua

 

Vice Premier Li Keqiang pledged on Wednesday to build a "modernized China" featuring ecological progress by exploring new ways of development.

"As the whole world pays attention to the environment and development, China is working in an active way as well," Li said as he addressed this year's annual general meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

Li said ecological progress has been given even more importance in China's modernization drive as blueprinted during the 18th national congress of the Communist Party of China, which concluded last month.

To achieve the goal of building a moderately prosperous society, China needs not only industrial civilization, but also ecological progress, Li said, adding that the country should break a "bottleneck" created by resources constraints and transform the current means of development.

He said the problems caused in the process of development should in turn be resolved through development.

"You cannot buy or borrow a good ecological balance," said the vice premier, adding that China is pursuing sustainable development and the country's industrialization and urbanization should be based on ecological progress.

According to Li, China will invest 3.4 trillion yuan ($544 billion) in environment protection in the five-year period from 2011 to 2015.

During his address, Li also urged all the Chinese people to make joint efforts to protect the environment and build a beautiful homeland.

As the largest developing country in the world, China has to boost cooperation with other countries to protect the environment, Li said as he met with foreign representatives attending the annual meeting.

"We will continue to shoulder our international obligations and work with all other sides to advance the sustainable development of mankind in accordance with the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, and respective capabilities," he vowed.

China will integrate ecological progress into its modernization drive to achieve economic development, improvement of people's livelihood and ecological progress at the same time, stressed the vice premier.

The modernization drive and ecological progress, both aimed at achieving comprehensive development of human beings, will benefit not only the Chinese people but also the sustainable development of the whole world, he added.



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