Continuously Deepening the Understanding and Practice of Ecological Civilization Construction in the New Era
任燕青 邹广文:不断深化新时代生态文明建设的认识与实践
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." [1]1 "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" (绿水青山就是金山银山) is a signature concept of Xi Jinping, first articulated in 2005 during his tenure as Party secretary of Zhejiang Province, arguing that environmental protection and economic development are not contradictory but mutually reinforcing. Ecological civilization construction benefits the present and will benefit future generations. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed ecological civilization construction in a prominent position in overall work, profoundly grasped the dialectical unity between "lucid waters and lush mountains" and "invaluable assets," scientifically answered the questions of China, the world, the people, and the times concerning ecological civilization construction, and formed Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. This has brought about historic, transformative, and overall changes in China's ecological civilization construction from theory to practice, providing a fundamental guideline and action guide for painting a new modernizing picture of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
今年是“绿水青山就是金山银山”理念提出20周年。生态文明建设功在当代、利在千秋。新时代以来,以习近平同志为核心的党中央把生态文明建设摆在全局工作的突出位置,深刻把握“绿水青山”和“金山银山”的辩证统一关系,科学回答生态文明建设的中国之问、世界之问、人民之问、时代之问,形成了习近平生态文明思想,使我国的生态文明建设从理论到实践都发生了历史性、转折性、全局性的变化,为绘就人与自然和谐共生的现代化新画卷提供了根本遵循和行动指南。
Ecological civilization construction is a millennium plan concerning the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.
生态文明建设是关系中华民族永续发展的千年大计
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature." Promoting green development and fostering harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature are major deployments and important requirements made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core for ecological civilization construction in the New Era. Committing to ecological civilization construction aimed at realizing harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature is an inherent requirement of Chinese-path modernization and a millennium plan concerning the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.
习近平总书记指出,“中国式现代化是人与自然和谐共生的现代化”。推动绿色发展,促进人与自然和谐共生,是以习近平同志为核心的党中央对新时代生态文明建设作出的重大部署、提出的重要要求。致力于实现人与自然和谐共生的生态文明建设,是中国式现代化的应有之义,是关系中华民族永续发展的千年大计。
Respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature is an inherent requirement for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Nature is the basic condition for human survival and development. General Secretary Xi Jinping, bearing in mind the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, has devoted immense energy to ecological civilization construction, repeatedly emphasizing the need to "respect, adapt to, and protect nature," and clearly stating the goal of "building China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful." [2]2 The phrase "prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful" (富强民主文明和谐美丽) expands the earlier five-adjective goal for socialist modernization by adding "beautiful" (美丽) to incorporate ecological civilization as a core objective. Entering the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the people of the whole country to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, continuously promoting the coordinated development of material, political, cultural-ethical, social, and ecological civilization, creating a new path of Chinese-path modernization and a new form of human civilization. Ecological civilization is not only an important component of Chinese-path modernization construction but also a major achievement of human social progress and a historical trend in the development of human civilization. Comprehensively building a modern socialist country inevitably requires "protecting the ecological environment like we protect our eyes, and treating the ecological environment like we treat our lives," placing ecological civilization construction in the overall position of reform, development, and modernization, and making every effort to advance ecological civilization construction.
尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然,是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的内在要求。大自然是人类赖以生存发展的基本条件。习近平总书记心系中华民族永续发展,为生态文明建设倾注了大量心血,多次强调要“尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然”,明确提出要“把我国建设成为富强民主文明和谐美丽的社会主义现代化强国”。进入新时代,以习近平同志为核心的党中央带领全国人民坚持和发展中国特色社会主义,不断推动物质文明、政治文明、精神文明、社会文明、生态文明协调发展,创造了中国式现代化新道路,创造了人类文明新形态。生态文明既是中国式现代化建设的重要组成部分,也是人类社会进步的重大成果、人类文明发展的历史趋势。全面建设社会主义现代化国家,必然要求“像保护眼睛一样保护生态环境,像对待生命一样对待生态环境”,把生态文明建设摆在改革发展和现代化建设的全局位置,全力以赴推进生态文明建设。
Promoting harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature is an essential requirement of Chinese-path modernization. A good ecological environment is the most equitable public product and the most inclusive public welfare for people's livelihoods. To build a modernization of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, it is necessary to meet the people's needs for a beautiful ecological environment. General Secretary Xi Jinping, concerned about the people, profoundly pointed out that "lucid waters and lush mountains are an important part of the people's happy life and cannot be replaced by money," while also emphasizing that "ecology itself is the economy." Entering the New Era, as China's principal social contradiction has transformed into the contradiction between the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development, the people's need for a beautiful ecological environment has become an important aspect of this contradiction. People's demands for fresh air, clean drinking water, safe food, and a beautiful environment are increasingly strong. The people's aspiration for a better life is our goal of struggle. To create new prospects for Chinese-path modernization construction, it is inevitably necessary to actively respond to what the people think, hope for, and urgently need, creating more material and spiritual wealth to meet the people's ever-growing needs for a better life, while also providing more high-quality ecological products to meet the people's ever-growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment.
促进人与自然和谐共生是中国式现代化的本质要求。良好生态环境是最公平的公共产品、最普惠的民生福祉,建设人与自然和谐共生的现代化,必须满足人民群众对优美生态环境的需要。习近平总书记心系人民群众,深刻指出“绿水青山是人民幸福生活的重要内容,是金钱不能代替的”,同时强调“生态本身就是经济”。进入新时代,随着我国社会主要矛盾转化为人民日益增长的美好生活需要和不平衡不充分的发展之间的矛盾,人民群众对优美生态环境的需要已经成为这一矛盾的重要方面,人们对清新空气、干净饮水、安全食品、优美环境的要求越来越强烈。人民对美好生活的向往,就是我们的奋斗目标。开创中国式现代化建设新局面,必然要求积极回应人民群众所想、所盼、所急,既创造更多的物质财富和精神财富以满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要,也提供更多优质生态产品以满足人民日益增长的优美生态环境需要。
The theory and practice of ecological civilization construction in the New Era form a positive interaction.
新时代生态文明建设理论与实践形成良性互动
The New Era gives birth to new thoughts, and new thoughts guide new practices. With the deepening of ecological civilization construction practice in the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has continuously deepened its understanding of the laws of ecological civilization construction, vigorously promoted theoretical, practical, and institutional innovation in ecological civilization, creatively proposed a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies, formed Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, advanced and expanded the vivid practice of Chinese-path modernization, and achieved a major transformation from practical exploration to guidance by scientific theory in ecological civilization construction.
新时代孕育新思想,新思想指导新实践。随着新时代生态文明建设实践的深入推进,以习近平同志为核心的党中央不断深化对生态文明建设规律的认识,大力推进生态文明理论创新、实践创新、制度创新等,创造性提出一系列新理念新思想新战略,形成了习近平生态文明思想,推进和拓展了中国式现代化的生动实践,实现了生态文明建设由实践探索到科学理论指导的重大转变。
From the perspective of theoretical innovation, Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is a regular understanding and summary of ecological civilization construction. Since the New Era, China's ecological civilization construction and ecological environmental protection have achieved remarkable results, but they also face new situations, new tasks, and new requirements of "supporting high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment." General Secretary Xi Jinping, standing at the height of insight into the general trend of human civilization development and deep reflection on the laws of economic and social development, emphasized the "Ten Persistences" [3]3 The "Ten Persistences" (十个坚持) are a set of guiding principles for ecological civilization, formally codified in Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, covering Party leadership, the relationship between ecology and civilization, and global cooperation, among other points. regarding ecological civilization construction, namely: persisting in the Party's overall leadership over ecological civilization construction; persisting that a sound ecology is essential for prosperity of civilization; persisting in harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature; persisting that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets; persisting that a good ecological environment is the most inclusive public welfare for people's livelihoods; persisting that green development is a profound revolution in the development concept; persisting in the systematic governance of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts; persisting in protecting the ecological environment with the strictest systems and the most rigorous rule of law; persisting in turning the construction of a Beautiful China into the conscious action of all people; and persisting in jointly building a global path to ecological civilization. To continue advancing ecological civilization construction on the new journey, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to handle the "Five Major Relationships," [4]4 The "Five Major Relationships" (五个重大关系) were outlined by Xi Jinping in 2023 to guide ecological work on the new journey of national development, balancing protection with growth and other tensions. namely: the relationship between high-quality development and high-level protection; the relationship between tackling key issues and coordinated governance; the relationship between natural restoration and artificial restoration; the relationship between external constraints and internal motivation; and the relationship between the "dual carbon" commitments [5]5 "Dual carbon" commitments (双碳) refer to China's pledges to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. and independent action. These "Ten Persistences" and "Five Major Relationships" systematically explain major issues such as the relationship between humanity and nature, protection and development, environment and people's livelihoods, and domestic and international affairs. They cover fundamental issues of ecological civilization construction in the New Era, including the fundamental guarantee, historical basis, basic principles, core concepts, purpose requirements, strategic paths, systematic concepts, institutional guarantees, social forces, and global initiatives. They answer the theoretical and practical questions of "why to build an ecological civilization, what kind of ecological civilization to build, and how to build an ecological civilization." Practice has fully demonstrated that Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is a systematic, comprehensive, and progressive scientific theoretical system.
从理论创新层面来看,习近平生态文明思想是关于生态文明建设的规律性认识和总结。新时代以来,我国生态文明建设和生态环境保护成效显著,但也面临着“以高品质生态环境支撑高质量发展”的新形势新任务新要求。习近平总书记站在洞察人类文明发展大势、深刻思考经济社会发展规律的高度,强调关于生态文明建设的“十个坚持”,即坚持党对生态文明建设的全面领导,坚持生态兴则文明兴,坚持人与自然和谐共生,坚持绿水青山就是金山银山,坚持良好生态环境是最普惠的民生福祉,坚持绿色发展是发展观的深刻革命,坚持统筹山水林田湖草沙系统治理,坚持用最严格制度最严密法治保护生态环境,坚持把建设美丽中国转化为全体人民自觉行动,坚持共谋全球生态文明建设之路。在新征程上继续推进生态文明建设,习近平总书记强调需要处理好“五个重大关系”,即高质量发展和高水平保护的关系、重点攻坚和协同治理的关系、自然恢复和人工修复的关系、外部约束和内生动力的关系、“双碳”承诺和自主行动的关系。这“十个坚持”“五个重大关系”系统阐释了人与自然、保护与发展、环境与民生、国内与国际等重大关系问题,涵盖了新时代生态文明建设的根本保证、历史依据、基本原则、核心理念、宗旨要求、战略路径、系统观念、制度保障、社会力量、全球倡议等基本问题,回答了“为什么建设生态文明、建设什么样的生态文明、怎样建设生态文明”的理论和实践问题。实践充分表明,习近平生态文明思想是系统全面、与时俱进的科学理论体系。
From the perspective of practical advancement, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, Chinese-path modernization has created world-renowned ecological and green development miracles. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the people of the whole country to coordinate the promotion of high-quality development and high-level protection, continuously promote the green and low-carbon transformation of the economy and society, fight the battle against pollution, the battle for blue skies, clear waters, and clean soil with high standards and strict requirements, and implement concrete practices of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and major measures to promote the construction of a Beautiful China. For example, by organically unifying natural restoration and artificial restoration, adapting measures to local conditions and time, and implementing policies by region and category, the national territorial space ecological protection and restoration has achieved a transformation from single elements to systematic governance, from engineering measures as the mainstay to natural restoration as the mainstay, from end-of-pipe treatment to whole-chain management, and from relying on fiscal funds to diversified investment. A territorial space ecological restoration planning system of "national plan + key regional, basin, and sea area plans + local plans" has been preliminarily established, basically forming an ecological protection and restoration "blueprint" from mountaintops to oceans, from plateaus to plains, and from national to local levels. For another example, actively advocating a new trend of green living, from reducing plastic use and encouraging end-of-life recycling, to raising water conservation awareness and emphasizing resource reuse, from turning off power at will and focusing on habit formation, to optimizing urban management and facilitating green travel, the concepts of green living and sustainable development have been popularized and extended to all aspects of the people's clothing, food, housing, transportation, and use, forming a good atmosphere for the whole society to jointly promote green development.
从实践推进层面来看,在习近平生态文明思想指引下,中国式现代化创造了举世瞩目的生态奇迹和绿色发展奇迹。以习近平同志为核心的党中央带领全国人民,统筹推进高质量发展和高水平保护,持续推动经济社会绿色低碳转型,高标准、严要求打好污染防治攻坚战、蓝天碧水净土保卫战,践行习近平生态文明思想的具体实践、推动美丽中国建设的重大举措不断落实落地。比如,把自然恢复和人工修复有机统一起来,因地因时制宜、分区分类施策,推动全国国土空间生态保护修复实现了由单一要素向系统治理转变、由工程措施为主向自然恢复为主转变、由末端治理向全链条管理转变、由依靠财政向多元化投入转变,初步建立“国家规划+重点区域流域海域规划+地方规划”的国土空间生态修复规划体系,基本形成从山顶到海洋、从高原到平原、从国家到地方的生态保护修复“蓝图”。比如,积极倡导绿色生活新风尚,从减少塑料使用、鼓励末端回收,到提升节水意识、重视再生利用,从随手关闭电源、注重习惯养成,到优化城市管理、方便绿色出行,绿色生活、可持续发展理念普及推广到人民群众衣食住行用等方方面面,形成了全社会共同推进绿色发展的良好氛围。
From the perspective of institutional construction, it provides a strong institutional guarantee for comprehensively advancing the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Only by implementing the strictest systems and the most rigorous rule of law can we provide a reliable guarantee for ecological civilization construction.” [1]1 "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" (绿水青山就是金山银山) is a signature concept of Xi Jinping, first articulated in 2005 during his tenure as Party secretary of Zhejiang Province, arguing that environmental protection and economic development are not contradictory but mutually reinforcing. Since the New Era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has closely focused on building a Beautiful China, continuously deepened the reform of the ecological civilization system and the reform of the ecological environment governance system, and striven to dismantle the institutional and mechanistic obstacles constraining ecological civilization construction. The socialist ecological environment legal system with Chinese characteristics and the “four beams and eight pillars” [2]2 The phrase "prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful" (富强民主文明和谐美丽) expands the earlier five-adjective goal for socialist modernization by adding "beautiful" (美丽) to incorporate ecological civilization as a core objective. institutional system of ecological civilization have been basically formed. For example, ecological civilization construction has been enshrined in the Party Constitution and the Constitution; multiple laws and regulations, such as the Environmental Protection Law, have been formulated and revised; documents such as the “Opinions on Accelerating the Advancement of Ecological Civilization Construction” and the “Overall Plan for the Reform of the Ecological Civilization System” have been issued and implemented; the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has been established; and so on. Multiple measures have been taken simultaneously to promote the systemic reshaping of the ecological civilization institutional system and achieve major breakthroughs in institutional reform. For another example, the “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization,” reviewed and approved at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC, [3]3 The "Ten Persistences" (十个坚持) are a set of guiding principles for ecological civilization, formally codified in Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, covering Party leadership, the relationship between ecology and civilization, and global cooperation, among other points. sets up a dedicated chapter on “Deepening the Reform of the Ecological Civilization System,” requiring the improvement of the ecological civilization institutional system, the coordinated advancement of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, greening expansion, and growth, the active response to climate change, and the acceleration of the improvement of the institutional mechanisms for implementing the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” [4]4 The "Five Major Relationships" (五个重大关系) were outlined by Xi Jinping in 2023 to guide ecological work on the new journey of national development, balancing protection with growth and other tensions. All these provide an institutional guarantee for comprehensively advancing the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature through the construction of a Beautiful China.
从制度建设层面来看,为全面推进人与自然和谐共生的现代化提供强有力的制度保障。习近平总书记指出:“只有实行最严格的制度、最严密的法治,才能为生态文明建设提供可靠保障。”新时代以来,以习近平同志为核心的党中央紧紧围绕建设美丽中国,持续深化生态文明体制改革、生态环境治理体系改革,着力破解制约生态文明建设的体制机制障碍,中国特色社会主义生态环境法律体系和生态文明“四梁八柱”性质的制度体系基本形成。比如,把生态文明建设载入党章和宪法,制定修订环境保护法等多部法律法规,出台实施《关于加快推进生态文明建设的意见》《生态文明体制改革总体方案》,组建生态环境部,等等,多措并举推动生态文明制度体系实现系统性重塑、体制改革取得重大突破。比如,党的二十届三中全会审议通过的《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化的决定》,设立“深化生态文明体制改革”专章,要求完善生态文明制度体系,协同推进降碳、减污、扩绿、增长,积极应对气候变化,加快完善落实“绿水青山就是金山银山”理念的体制机制,这些都为以美丽中国建设全面推进人与自然和谐共生的现代化提供了制度保障。
Contributing Chinese Wisdom and Chinese Solutions to Global Ecological Civilization Construction
为全球生态文明建设贡献中国智慧和中国方案
Protecting the ecological environment is a common challenge and a common responsibility facing the world. Faced with unprecedented difficulties in global environmental governance, General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to “uphold the concept of ecological civilization, stand at the height of being responsible for future generations, jointly build a community of all life on Earth, and jointly build a clean and beautiful world,” providing Chinese wisdom and Chinese strength for the common pursuit of global ecological civilization construction, and highlighting the world value of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.
保护生态环境是全球面临的共同挑战和共同责任。面对全球环境治理前所未有的困难,习近平总书记强调要“秉持生态文明理念,站在为子孙后代负责的高度,共同构建地球生命共同体,共同建设清洁美丽的世界”,为共谋全球生态文明建设提供了中国智慧和中国力量,彰显了习近平生态文明思想的世界价值。
Jointly building a community of life between humanity and nature. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the need to build a community of life between humanity and nature and to promote the construction of a clean and beautiful world. This is a global initiative for ecological civilization construction and a manifestation of the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind in the field of ecological civilization. Humanity has only one Earth, and all countries share one world. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization closely links China’s own development with the overall development of the world, links the destiny of humanity with the broad life on Earth, abandons the old concepts and old paths of “pollute first, treat later” and “destroy first, restore later” in the development of industrial civilization, breaks the erroneous concept of the binary opposition between humanity and nature, transcends the form of civilization centered on capital and taking external expansion and plunder as the development path, and depicts a new development vision for achieving harmony between humanity and nature, providing intellectual inspiration for global ecological civilization construction. From proposing “a community with a shared future for mankind,” to advocating “a community of life between humanity and nature,” and then to calling for “a community of all life on Earth,” the concept of community has continuously deepened and led development, enriching the Chinese practice and world contribution of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.
共同构建人与自然生命共同体。习近平总书记多次强调要构建人与自然生命共同体,推动建设一个清洁美丽的世界。这是生态文明建设的全球倡议,是构建人类命运共同体理念在生态文明领域的体现。人类只有一个地球,各国共处一个世界。习近平生态文明思想将中国自身发展与世界整体发展紧密联系在一起,将人类的命运与地球上广泛的生命联系在一起,摒弃工业文明发展中“先污染后治理”“先破坏后修复”的旧观念、老路子,打破人与自然二元对立的错误观念,超越以资本为中心、以对外扩张掠夺为发展路径的文明形态,描绘了实现人与自然和谐共生新的发展愿景,为全球生态文明建设提供了思想启迪。从提出“人类命运共同体”,到倡议“人与自然生命共同体”,再到呼吁“地球生命共同体”,共同体理念不断深入、引领发展,丰富了习近平生态文明思想的中国实践和世界贡献。
Actively participating in global ecological and environmental governance. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “China has made an indelible contribution to greening the planet and improving global climate change, and the Chinese people have made an indelible contribution.” We have both strengthened our own ecological civilization construction, promoted the green and low-carbon transformation of the development model, extensively carried out green and low-carbon international cooperation, deepened the green foundation of growth, and made due contributions to global carbon emission reduction and green transformation; and we have also actively assumed international responsibility for addressing climate change, comprehensively implemented the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, took the lead in releasing the “China’s National Plan on Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and the “China Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023–2030),” actively worked with other countries to build a “Green Silk Road,” [5]5 "Dual carbon" commitments (双碳) refer to China's pledges to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. and jointly created a harmonious and livable human home, providing solid support for promoting the stable and long-term development of the path of global ecological civilization construction.
积极参与全球生态环境治理。习近平总书记指出:“地球绿化,改善全球气候变化,中国功不可没,中国人民功不可没。”我们既加强自身生态文明建设,推动发展方式绿色低碳转型,广泛开展绿色低碳国际合作,厚植增长的绿色底色,为全球碳减排和绿色转型作出应有贡献;也主动承担应对气候变化的国际责任,全面履行《联合国气候变化框架公约》、率先发布《中国落实2030年可持续发展议程国别方案》《中国生物多样性保护战略与行动计划(2023—2030年)》,积极同各国一道打造“绿色丝绸之路”,共同营造和谐宜居的人类家园,为推动全球生态文明建设之路行稳致远提供了坚实支撑。
The green development concept advocated by China takes “the common interests of humanity” as its highest principle, promoting the whole world to join hands, cooperate, and move forward side by side, jointly and effectively addressing global environmental issues such as climate change, marine pollution, and biological protection. The experience of ecological civilization explored by China provides useful reference for developing countries to break the myth of “modernization = Westernization,” and declares to the world that only by protecting the home planet and seeking harmony between humanity and nature can humanity truly move towards a future of “sharing weal and woe together.”
中国倡导的绿色发展理念,将“人类共同利益”作为最高准则,推动全世界携手合作、并肩同行,共同有效应对气候变化、海洋污染、生物保护等全球性环境问题。中国探索的生态文明经验,为发展中国家破解“现代化=西方化”迷思提供了有益借鉴,向世界宣告唯有守护地球家园,谋求人与自然和谐共生,人类才能真正走向“和衷共济”的未来。
(The authors are, respectively, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Marxism, Tsinghua University; and a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Marxism, Tsinghua University, and a researcher at the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Institute, Tsinghua University)
(作者系清华大学马克思主义学院博士后;清华大学马克思主义学院教授、博士生导师,清华大学习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究院研究员)
Online Editor: Ma Jingren
网络编辑:马京仁
Notes
- "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" (绿水青山就是金山银山) is a signature concept of Xi Jinping, first articulated in 2005 during his tenure as Party secretary of Zhejiang Province, arguing that environmental protection and economic development are not contradictory but mutually reinforcing. ↩
- The phrase "prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful" (富强民主文明和谐美丽) expands the earlier five-adjective goal for socialist modernization by adding "beautiful" (美丽) to incorporate ecological civilization as a core objective. ↩
- The "Ten Persistences" (十个坚持) are a set of guiding principles for ecological civilization, formally codified in Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, covering Party leadership, the relationship between ecology and civilization, and global cooperation, among other points. ↩
- The "Five Major Relationships" (五个重大关系) were outlined by Xi Jinping in 2023 to guide ecological work on the new journey of national development, balancing protection with growth and other tensions. ↩
- "Dual carbon" commitments (双碳) refer to China's pledges to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. ↩
- This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s speech at the 41st collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee in May 2017.
- “Four beams and eight pillars” (四梁八柱) is a Chinese architectural metaphor for a comprehensive and stable framework; here it refers to the core institutional framework of the ecological civilization system.
- The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC was held in July 2024.
- “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (绿水青山就是金山银山) is a well-known slogan of Xi Jinping emphasizing the economic value of environmental protection.
- The “Green Silk Road” (绿色丝绸之路) is an initiative to integrate environmental sustainability into the Belt and Road Initiative.