Photo: Global Times

Editor's Note:

August 15 marks the National Ecology Day. During an inspection tour to Yucun village, Anji county in East China's Zhejiang Province on August 15, 2005, Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), for the first time put forward the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."  

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, ecological civilization has been placed in the country's "five-sphere" integrated plan. The concept has become the core philosophy and action framework for China's eco-civilization construction, ushering in a new chapter for China's ecological civilization. Guided by this philosophy, the country has achieved historic, transformative, and comprehensive changes in ecological and environmental protection, which has become a distinctive feature of the historic accomplishments and transformations in the cause of the Party and the country.

The book series of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China includes several important speeches on ecological construction. Chinese President Xi's directive on China's first National Ecology Day in 2023 is included in Volume V of the book series. President Xi said "I hope our whole society acts now to promote and apply the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. Through solid and sustained efforts, we will make a greater contribution to building a clean and beautiful world."

In the 10th installment of the special series "Decoding the Book of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China," the Global Times, along with People's Daily Overseas Edition, explores the theme: China's innovative approach in ecological conservation and its global impact. We continue to invite Chinese and foreign scholars, translators of Xi's works, practitioners with firsthand experience, and international readers to discuss how the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and relevant practices contribute to sustainable development, global ecological governance and building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Here are the stories:

1. Practitioners' insights: From mines to green hills - two generations witness 20 years of China's ecological development miracle under 'two mountains' concept

2. Readers' Reflections: China's green, low-carbon transition unlocks more dividends, bringing significant opportunities for foreign firms

3. Translators' Voices: 'Two mountains' concept presents a fundamental shift in how development should work