Nigeria Times

By Jiang Shengyang, Yan Ke, People’s Daily
The tide was rising in the Yundang Lake in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian province. As the
floodgate opened, the water flew and fish swam upstream. The egrets descended from the sky and
hovered above the lake, ready to dive and catch their prey.
Peng Zhiwei, who was waiting for this scene, immediately pressed the shutter. “The egrets
hovering to feed is a distinctive sight of Xiamen,” he said.
Peng, who has photographed birds near the Yundang Lake for nearly 30 years, is a witness to the
transformation of the lake.
In the 1970s, when the Yundang Lake was surrounded by embankments, untreated sewage was
discharged directly from the surrounding area, causing a rapid deterioration in water quality and a
near extinction of fish and shrimp.
“Your clothes could even become stinky if you walked around the lake at that time,” Peng
recalled.
Since 1988, Xiamen has carried out law-based governance of the lake. It halted the discharge of
untreated sewage, dredged the lake and built embankments, with an aim to revitalize the water and
beautify the environment.
Relevant authorities have launched a five-phase treatment project on a large scale. After more than
30 years of relentless efforts, everywhere around the lake makes picturesque scenery today.
Zheng Lei, born in the 1990s, graduated from Xiamen University and works near the Yundang
Lake. In August 2020, he became one of the first “citizen lake chiefs” in Xiamen.
The “citizen lake chiefs,” recruited by the Xiamen Yundang Lake Conservation Center, are a group
of people with expertise in water ecological protection and management, as well as other related
professional knowledge. Their main tasks include carrying out routine inspections of the lake area,
and collecting and reflecting citizens’ opinions and suggestions on lake management.
As one who majored in marine ecology at university, Zheng noted that he hopes to leverage his
expertise in this area and help make the Yundang Lake a signature of Xiamen.
In fact, the philosophy of green development runs through all aspects of Xiamen’s economic and
social development, from the 1.6-square-kilometer Yundang Lake to the 1,699-square-kilometer
Xiamen city.
Xiamen follows a principle that restricts access to mountain areas regularly for better
afforestation. It has shut down all sand and gravel plants, and conducted ecological restoration in
multiple mining areas, which resulted in a continuous decline in the rate of soil erosion.
“Pocket parks” and “miniature parks” have been built across the city, ensuring that residents can
reach a park within a 15-minute walk from any location in the urban area.
The city is also building footpaths to expand the green recreational spaces for citizens. It is
estimated that by 2025, the total length of such footpaths in the city will reach 500 kilometers.
Nowadays, Xiamen ranks among the top in China in terms of comprehensive air quality index,
greening coverage of built-up areas, and other environmental indicators. The city has been

accelerating energy conservation in key sectors such as industry, transportation, construction, and
public institutions, with its comprehensive energy consumption per 10,000 yuan GDP surpassing
the national level.
From expediting industrial transformation and upgrading to improving the ecological civilization
system, and from optimizing spatial layout to fortifying ecological barriers, the people of Xiamen
are carefully preserving the city’s appearance and injecting strong momentum into its development
through innovation and entrepreneurship.
Yealink Network Tech is a communications equipment developer based in Xiamen, whose
technologies and novel products are truly eye-openers.
Thanks to sophisticated algorithms the company has developed for sound collection and noise
reduction, a seemingly ordinary video conferencing device manufactured by the company can
offer call audio quality as good as CD players.
The company, established in 2001, holds the global leading market share in the SIP phone market.
“Yealink’s rapid development is attributed to years of continuous innovation in the communication
field,” said an executive of the company.
According to the executive, R&D staff account for over 60 percent of the total employees at
Yealink, and the company spends over 8 percent of its sales revenue on R&D investment each
year.
The Xiamen Torch High-tech Industrial Development Zone, where Yealink Network Tech is
located, is home to more than 10,000 enterprises of various types, including over 1,000 national-
level high-tech companies. With less than 3 percent of Xiamen’s land area, the zone contributes 43
percent of the city’s industrial output value.
By abandoning extensive industries and focusing on high-end manufacturing and modern services,
Xiamen is reshaping its industrial structure during its transition and development.
Accelerating the digitization of industries and digital industrialization, Xiamen has built a new-
generation information technology industry system with a concentration of chips, screens, smart
terminals, software, intelligence, and new-gen networks. The new economy is growing rapidly.
Xiamen has a high-value invention patent ownership of 20.8 per 10,000 people, which is 2.2 times
the national average. In 2022, the digital economy of the city reached 479 billion yuan ($66.97
billion), accounting for 61.5 percent of its GDP. The city also ranked among the top in China in
terms of residents’ satisfaction with digital living.

By He Yin, People’s Daily
The BRICS group officially welcomed Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and
Ethiopia as new members on Jan.1 this year, doubling its membership from 5 to 10.
This expansion has added weight to the global influence of BRICS, and the greater BRICS
cooperation is expected to play a more important role in promoting world peace and development,
as well as safeguarding the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries.
The greater BRICS cooperation responds to the strong desire of emerging markets and developing
countries to unite and strive for self-improvement. Since its establishment in 2006, the BRICS
mechanism has continuously strengthened its cohesion, solidified its foundation of cooperation,
expanded its scope of cooperation, and increased its influence. The BRICS countries have become
a positive and stable force for good.
In recent years, the international situation has become increasingly complex and volatile, leading
to a steady rise in the attractiveness and appeal of the BRICS mechanism. More and more
emerging markets and developing countries aspire to join the BRICS family.
China has been actively promoting the expansion of the BRICS membership. Chinese President Xi
Jinping pointed out that BRICS should not become a closed and inward-looking group, instead it
should be an open and inclusive platform to attract new members and pool new forces, which
meets the practical development needs of BRICS and serves the common interests of BRICS
countries.
China hosted the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries during its BRICS
presidency in 2017, for the first time expanding the scope of BRICS cooperation partners to a
global level through the “BRICS Plus.” When China assumed the BRICS presidency again in
2022, BRICS countries initiated expansion process upon consensus.
The BRICS mechanism is an important cooperation platform for emerging markets and
developing countries. As the mechanism continues to develop, it can play a greater role in
safeguarding the interests of these countries.
Currently, unilateralism and protectionism are rising, along with the resurgence of the Cold-War
and zero-sum game mentality. Hegemony and power politics pose threats to global peace and
stability. Against this backdrop, emerging markets and developing countries are increasingly eager
to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and uphold fairness and justice.
The expanded BRICS family will continue to forge stronger BRICS strategic partnership, expand
the “BRICS Plus” model, so as to increase the representation and voice of emerging markets and
developing countries in global affairs.
The new members of the BRICS family are confident in the prospects of greater BRICS
cooperation. Saudi Arabia said it will become even more prosperous after joining the BRICS
mechanism. Egypt, which has always hoped to join the mechanism, hopes to further strengthen its
ties with other BRICS members. The United Arab Emirates noted that its joining the BRICS
cooperation mechanism marked a new chapter in its multilateral economic partnerships. Both Iran
and Ethiopia believe they will benefit from the BRICS mechanism.
The greater BRICS cooperation, in line with the historical trend of building a multi-polar world, is
conducive to addressing a series of major issues and challenges facing the world today. With the
addition of new members, the BRICS family now has broader geographical coverage and greater

scope for cooperation, which will play a greater role in promoting world peace and development,
and upholding international fairness and justice.
Last November, a BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue was hosted
to coordinate positions and take relevant actions, making a voice of peace and justice. The
meeting has set a positive tone for the greater BRICS cooperation.
Unlike certain countries that are obsessed with forming exclusive, small circles and blocs, BRICS
cooperation does not engage in bloc confrontation. It has always been committed to promoting
greater democracy in international relations and practicing true multilateralism.
Former Assistant Foreign Minister of Egypt Hussein Haridy said in an article recently published
on Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram that the expanded BRICS group is destined to play an
important role in lessening the negative impact of geopolitics on multilateralism.
The greater BRICS cooperation will further strengthen the forces of world peace and
development, and make global governance fairer and more equitable in a more effective manner.
China is confident in the future of BRICS cooperation and will continue to work with its BRICS
partners to advocate for an equal and orderly multi-polar world and a universally beneficial and
inclusive economic globalization. It will strive to achieve new accomplishments in the greater
BRICS cooperation and contribute even more to the building of a community with a shared future
for mankind.

By Zhang Jinruo, Cao Shiyun, Fan Fan, People’s Daily
Recently, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) celebrated the second
anniversary of its entry into force. As a milestone achievement in the economic integration of the
Asia-Pacific region, the RCEP serves as a vivid example of regional countries sharing
development opportunities.
Over the past two years, regional trade costs have significantly decreased, and the industrial and
supply chains have become more closely linked, benefiting an expanding range of people.
The RCEP has continued to drive the deepening of regional economic and trade cooperation,
injecting strong momentum into the region’s economic integration and development.
The RCEP encompasses various aspects of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation,
with a key focus on tariff reduction and elimination. Over 90 percent of goods traded within the
region will gradually enjoy zero tariffs.
PT Sany Perkasa is a joint venture between China’s leading heavy-equipment manufacturer Sany
Heavy Industry and an Indonesian company. It sells large machinery such as excavators and wheel
loaders in Indonesia.
Zhang Zhaoqiang, general manager of PT Sany Perkasa, noted that after the implementation of the
RCEP, the tariffs on wide-body trucks and dump trucks from China were reduced from 10 percent
to zero.
“With the decrease in costs, our products have gained more competitiveness, allowing us to
provide greater benefits to our customers,” Zhang told People’s Daily.
The total population, sum of gross domestic product and trade in goods of RCEP member
countries all account for about 30 percent of the global share.
Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Hou Yanqi noted that through unified tariff commitments, rules
of origin, trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and other trade rules, the RCEP has
maximized the integration of the 27 trade arrangements and 44 investment agreements of its
regional members. This effectively promotes the development of the multilateral trading system
and brings tangible benefits to the participating parties, Hou added.
According to a report issued by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in
September, 2023, the RCEP has played a significant role in promoting regional trade cooperation.
As of June 2023, the issuance volume of certificates of origin under the RCEP framework
registered in China increased by over 25 percent year-on-year, significantly higher than the growth
rate of international trade in the same period.
According to a report by Thai newspaper The Universal Daily News, the trade volume between
Thailand and other RCEP members reached $327.28 billion in 2022, accounting for 55.45 percent
of Thailand’s total foreign trade.
Cambodia has also released encouraging data. From January to November 2023, Cambodia’s trade
volume with other RCEP members exceeded $26.5 billion, representing 61 percent of the
country’s total trade. The value of goods exported from Cambodia to other RCEP members
increased by 27.29 percent from a year ago.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that facing uncertainties in global development, the

RCEP holds significant importance in boosting countries’ confidence in the multilateral trading
system, promoting economic recovery, and achieving mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.
China was the first to complete the ratification process and submit its RCEP ratification document.
It has implemented RCEP rules with high quality, fully delivered on its opening commitments and
obligations under the agreement, and continuously pushed for tariff reductions and exemptions.
Upholding the vision of open development, China has promoted the high-quality implementation
of RCEP.
“As the largest economy in the RCEP, China has benefited from its entry into force, and has also
been an important contributor to RCEP cooperation,” said Yuan Bo, director of the Institute of
Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under
the Ministry of Commerce.
“China has played a positive role in promoting regional trade, investment and economic growth,”
she noted.
Since the implementation of the RCEP two years ago, China’s trade in intermediate goods with
other RCEP member countries has remained at a high level of 8 trillion yuan ($1.12 trillion).
Statistics show that in 2022, China’s imports and exports with other RCEP member countries
increased by 7.5 percent year-on-year. In the first 11 months of 2023, China’s trade in intermediate
goods with Cambodia and Laos reached 65.78 billion yuan and 29.55 billion yuan, respectively,
up 2.4 percent and 35.8 percent from a year ago.
Immanuel Lingga, a senior official with Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade, believed that China’s
implementation of the RCEP will enhance the resilience of regional and global value chains, given
China’s crucial position in the global value chain. The official said this will contribute to the
steady progress of the regional economy.
Thanks to the customs clearance facilitation brought by the RCEP, in the first 11 months of 2023,
China’s imports of fresh durians from RCEP member countries such as Thailand and Vietnam
totaled 46.61 billion yuan, which was 1.7 times that of the whole-year figure of 2021 before the
agreement took effect. The continuous growth of China’s trade in agricultural products with
ASEAN is a reflection of the positive effects of tariff reduction and trade facilitation measures
covered by the RCEP.
Over the past two years, China has worked together with relevant parties to comprehensively and
effectively implement the RCEP, promoting the development of trade in goods, ensuring the
effective implementation of preferential rules of origin, implementing customs procedures and
trade facilitation rules with high standards, and improving the level of opening up in service trade,
Hou noted.
She said these efforts have helped propel the regional economy forward against headwinds and
unleash more dividends from the world’s largest free trade area.

By Han Xin, People’s Daily
In recent years, with the rapid development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence
(AI), 5G, and big data, autonomous driving has been increasingly applied in the transportation
sector in China. From being tested in closed test fields and on designated roads, it is now being
piloted and employed in commercial trial operations.
China’s Ministry of Transport recently issued a trial safety guideline on the use of driverless
vehicles in the public transportation sector. It marked the first time for China to state in a national
policy that intelligent connected vehicles can be used for commercial transportation, and is
believed to accelerate the commercialization of self-driving driving technology across the country.
In recent years, the autonomous driving industry in China has experienced rapid growth, along
with an expanding market. Currently, there are 17 national-level autonomous driving
demonstration zones and 7 national-level pilot zones for intelligent connected vehicles across the
country. These zones have opened up over 22,000 kilometers of roads for testing, accumulating a
total test mileage of over 70 million kilometers.
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and some other cities have introduced policies allowing
autonomous vehicles to engage in commercial trial operations in specific areas and during specific
time periods, including urban public transportation, taxi services, and logistics delivery. The scale
of application continues to expand in these cities.
It is reported that in Shunyi district of Beijing, the autonomous delivery vehicles of Meituan, a
Chinese shopping platform for locally found consumer products and retail services, are delivering
thousands of orders per day.
With an Apollo Go mobile application, passengers in Wuhan Economic and Technological
Development Zone, central China’s Hubei province, can hail a fully autonomous vehicle after a
few taps on their phones to set their pick-up and drop-off locations in the app.
Once a destination is confirmed, the vehicle will drive according to the predetermined route.
Equipped with fisheye cameras and laser sensors, the vehicle can accurately avoid obstacles and
automatically adjust its speed based on traffic conditions.
Wuhan has launched 300 unmanned vehicles since it initiated the fully driverless robotaxi service
in August 2022, which serves a population of over 4 million people.
Currently, there are over 200 autonomous city buses, more than 1,500 autonomous taxis, and
approximately 1,000 autonomous trucks operating nationwide. Apollo autonomous driving,
developed by Chinese tech giant Baidu, has accumulated a test mileage of over 78 million
kilometers, providing transportation services in over 10 cities.
Continuously enhancing safety capabilities is the primary goal of transportation services and a
fundamental requirement for the widespread application of autonomous vehicles in the
transportation sector. The concept of safety is consistently emphasized in the measures proposed
by the guideline.
Overall, the guideline has established a safety assurance system from six aspects: safety
production system, transportation safety protection, operational status information management,
vehicle dynamic monitoring, safety notification, and emergency response. This provides
regulatory compliance for autonomous vehicles to engage in road transportation operations safely.
The guideline specifically proposed the concept of “security inspector” – the person responsible

for overseeing the safe operation of an autonomous vehicle in-cabin or remotely.
Li Bin, deputy director of the Research Institute of Highway under China’s Ministry of Transport,
noted that the guideline fully considers the commercial models of autonomous driving in different
forms. While ensuring safety, the guideline sets regulations on the allocation of safety personnel,
skills, and qualifications for different transportation operations.
According to the guideline, the safe operation of fully autonomous taxis can be ensured by remote
security inspectors. The guideline said that with the approval of local governments, fully
autonomous taxis could be operated unmanned over designated areas with one security inspector
overseeing them remotely, and the ratio of remote security inspectors to taxis shall not be lower
than 1:3.
The guideline specifies the application scenarios for autonomous driving vehicles to provide road
transportation services.
For autonomous city buses, relevant passenger transport operations can be carried out in
physically enclosed, relatively enclosed, or fixed routes with simple traffic conditions where
traffic safety is controllable.
Autonomous taxis are allowed to carry out passenger transport operations in scenarios with good
traffic conditions and controllable traffic safety.
Besides, autonomous vehicles are prohibited from engaging in road transportation operations for
dangerous goods.
The guideline also clarifies the responsibilities for the providers of autonomous transport services.
For instance, the operators of autonomous taxis and other passenger vehicles should purchase
carrier’s liability insurance according to laws.
“The increasingly improved environment for industrial development provides possibilities for the
accelerated application of autonomous vehicles in the transportation service sector,” said Wang
Xianjin, vice-president of the China Academy of Transportation Sciences, which is a part of the
Ministry of Transport.
The release of the guideline has laid a solid foundation for the safe application of autonomous
driving vehicles and also leaves ample room for innovative applications, Wang said, adding that
this will further promote the application of autonomous driving technology in the transportation
sector.

By He Yin, People’s Daily
The Communist Party of China (CPC) has remained true to its original aspiration and mission of
seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. It has also contributed to human progress and world harmony.
The Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs was recently held. It was pointed out
at the conference that building a community with a shared future for mankind is the core tenet of
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. It is how China proposes to solve the questions of what kind of
world to build and how to build it based on the deepening understanding of the laws governing the
development of human society.
It reflects the Chinese Communists’ worldview, perception of order, and values, accords with the
common aspiration of people in all countries, and points the direction for the progress of world
civilizations. It is also the noble goal pursued by China in conducting major-country diplomacy
with Chinese characteristics for the new era.
Since the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind was proposed in 2013,
Chinese President Xi Jinping has systematically expounded on it multiple times.
In summary, in building a community with a shared future for mankind, the goal is to build an
open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared
prosperity, the pathway is promoting global governance that features extensive consultation and
joint contribution for shared benefit, the guiding principle is to apply the common values of
humanity, the basic underpinning lies in building a new type of international relations, the
strategic guidance comes from the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the
Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and the platform for action is
high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Since the dawn of this new era, building a community with a shared future for mankind has
developed from a Chinese initiative to an international consensus, from a promising vision to
substantive actions, and from a conceptual proposition to a scientific system. It has served as a
glorious banner leading the progress of the times.
Countries should build a world of lasting peace through dialogue and consultation. It means
beating the swords of war into the plowshares of peace. Upholding peace is the responsibility of
every country. Countries should foster partnerships based on dialogue, non-confrontation and non-
alliance.
Countries should build a world of common security for all through joint efforts. It means turning
absolute security for one into common security for all. All countries should pursue common,
comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and need to take a holistic approach to
traditional and non-traditional security threats.
Countries should build a world of common prosperity through win-win cooperation. It means
bidding farewell to the winner-takes-all mindset and sharing development achievements.
Countries should make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to
all, so as to bring greater benefits to all peoples in a fairer manner.
Countries should build an open and inclusive world through exchanges and mutual learning. It
means bidding farewell to the mindset that one civilization is superior to another and starting to
appreciate the strengths of other civilizations. Diverse civilizations should draw on each other to

achieve common progress, and countries should make exchanges among civilizations a source of
inspiration for advancing human society and a bond that keeps the world in peace.
Countries should make the world clean and beautiful by pursuing green and low-carbon
development. It means bidding farewell to the destructive exploitation of resources and preserving
and enjoying the lush mountains and lucid waters. All parties must protect ecosystems as
preciously as they protect their eyes, and cherish them as dearly as they cherish their lives. They
must preserve what gives the planet life and embrace green development.
The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind responds to the common
pursuit of people in countries around the world for peace, development and cooperation, and
identifies the fundamental path to solve global issues. It has been widely recognized and supported
by the international community.
The vision has been written into resolutions of the UN General Assembly for seven years in a row,
and included in resolutions or declarations of multilateral mechanisms like the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization and BRICS.
China also put forward important initiatives such as building a global community of health for all,
a community with a shared future in cyberspace, and a community of life for humanity and nature,
giving a strong boost to global governance in various sectors.
Great transformation is accelerating across the world. Changes of the world, of the times, and of
historical significance are unfolding like never before, and the world has entered a new period of
turbulence and transformation.
Facing the unstable and uncertain international situation, more and more countries have come to
realize that the world today has become a community with a shared future in which countries all
share a huge stake of survival. The future of the world should be determined and created by all.
What people in various countries long for is an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that
enjoys enduring peace, universal security and common prosperity. Such is the logic of historical
advance and the trend of the times. All countries need to uphold the correct views of the world, of
history and of their overall interests, and act to translate the vision of a community with a shared
future for mankind into reality.
China is an advocate and an activist in building a community with a shared future for mankind. It
is always committed to solving hotspot issues peacefully, promotes the strengthening of global
security governance, steadfastly builds an open world economy, advances exchanges and mutual
learning among different civilizations, and leads global ecological progress.
China has established various forms of a community of shared future with dozens of countries and
regions, whether bilateral or multilateral, regional or global. China will continue to uphold global
peace and tranquility, continue to promote common development for all, and continue to promote
mutual enrichment among civilizations. It will work with the international community toward a
bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.

By Liu Yi, People’s Daily

Tall transmission towers are favorite nesting sites for many bird species, but birds nesting on these
towers can easily cause line tripping and threaten their own safety.
To address this issue, power grid workers have been actively exploring solutions. Instead of
simply expelling birds from the towers, they are now constructing artificial nests in non-electrified
sections of the towers, taking insulation treatment on part of the towers and other measures.
This approach has been widely adopted in various provinces, municipalities and autonomous
regions in China. Now, birds find their homes in these lovingly built nests on transmission towers,
creating a beautiful scenery that showcases the harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
In recent years, as the concept of ecological civilization has been increasingly popular, there has
been a profound shift in people’s attitudes toward nature. Man and nature is a symbiotic
relationship, and harm to nature will ultimately harm humanity itself. Conversely, respecting,
adapting to, and protecting nature can bring immense benefits to humanity.
The transformation of power grid workers, from expelling birds to nesting and protecting birds, is
a vivid reflection of this conceptual change.
Nature is the fundamental condition for human survival and development. China has actively
explored the path of harmonious coexistence between man and nature by respecting nature,
following its ways, and protecting it.
Significant achievements have been made in China’s efforts to keep skies blue, waters clear, and
lands clean. China’s innovative approach to marine plastic waste management, known as the “Blue
Circle,” has been honored with the 2023 Champions of the Earth award by the United Nations
Environment Program. The Chinese experiences in pursuing a modernization featuring harmony
between human and nature.
The respect and awe for the natural ecology is essential for achieving the harmonious coexistence
between man and nature.
In the past, people in certain regions blindly “marched into the desert,” and reclaimed land from
lakes and seas, only to find that they did not conquer nature but instead disrupted the ecological
balance.
Nowadays, people place great importance on the conservation of natural ecology, protecting and
cherishing the eco-environment. When protecting and restoring the ecology, they follow the laws
of nature and utilize the inherent power of nature. They employ a combination of natural recovery
and artificial restoration methods, adapting their approach based on local conditions and
implementing targeted strategies in different situations.
If humanity does not fail nature, nature shall never fail humanity. By respecting nature, following
its ways, and protecting it, the vitality and resilience of the ecosystem can be gradually restored.
To promote high-quality development in sync with high-standard protection is an inevitable path
in pursuing the harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
China never grows its economy at the cost of resource depletion and environmental degradation,
nor does it sacrifice growth in the process of ecological protection. Instead, it adheres to the
sustainable development path of achieving both ecological and economic benefits.

With an annual energy consumption growth rate of 3 percent, China has supported an annual
economic growth rate of over 6 percent. The country has established the world’s largest carbon
market and clean power generation system, with the proportion of coal in energy consumption
decreasing to 56.2 percent and the share of clean energy consumption increasing to 25.9 percent.
China has also been the world’s top producer and seller of new energy vehicles for years in a row.
Green development has become a defining feature of China’s high-quality development.
As the blue sky and white clouds have reemerged, the Chinese people are enjoying a more livable
urban and rural environment. Recently, the Central Economic Work Conference outlined China’s
economic plan for 2024, explicitly calling for advancing ecological conservation and promoting
green and low-carbon development. Respecting nature, following its ways, and protecting it,
China is unfolding a new and beautiful picture of harmonious coexistence between man and
nature.