Silk Road of Green Development
Environmental protection is a common concern of humanity. Addressing the Legislative Chamber of the Uzbek Supreme Assembly on June 22, 2016, President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation in environmental and ecological protection, so as to build a Silk Road of green development.
This idea had previously been affirmed by the Chinese government in a white paper entitled Joining Hands to Build a Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st-century Maritime Silk Road – Vision and Actions. The document highlights the importance of a green, low-carbon approach to building and operating infrastructure, taking into full account the imperative to mitigate the impact of climate change. It encourages joint efforts to build a Silk Road of green development by integrating ecological considerations into trade and investment strategies, and expanding cooperation in protecting the environment and biodiversity and addressing climate change.
Contributing to the goal of sustainable development, and informed by the concept of environmentally friendly development, the Silk Road of green development initiative calls for a careful balance between economic growth and environmental protection, with due consideration given to the ecological carrying capacity of the countries concerned. Ecological protection, prevention and control of desertification, and clean energy, among others, already feature prominently in strategic planning exercises for implementing the Belt and Road Initiative. The prospects for a Silk Road of green development look bright.
绿色丝绸之路
环境问题是人类社会面临的共同问题。2016年6月22日，习近平主席在乌兹别克斯坦最高会议立法院发表演讲时指出，要着力深化环保合作，践行绿色发展理念，加大生态环境保护力度，携手打造绿色丝绸之路。此前中国公布的《推动共建丝绸之路经济带和 21 世纪海上丝绸之路的愿景与行动》也明确提出，强化基础设施绿色低碳化建设和运营管理，在建设中充分考虑气候变化影响，在投资贸易中突出生态文明理念，加强生态环境、生物多样性和应对气候变化合作，共建绿色丝绸之路。绿色丝绸之路体现了可持续发展的理念，它要求在“一带一路”建设中秉承绿色和环保理念，正确处理经济增长和环境保护的关系，充分考虑沿线国家的生态承载能力，共建一个良好的生态环境。“一带一路”建设已将生态环保、防沙治沙、清洁能源等列为重点发展产业，绿色丝绸之路面临发展良机。