Chinese report by Xing Feilong, CENEWS

BEIJING, Jun. 15-China-Italy High-level Workshop on Environmental Management and Sustainable Development was held in Beijing today. Vice Minister Zhao Yingmin delivered a speech at the workshop. Italian Minister for the Environment, Land and Sea Gian Luca Galletti and the Italian Ambassador to China Ettore Francesco Sequi attended the event.

Zhao said, the Chinese President Xi Jinping required firmly developing the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” and made it clear that protecting the ecological environment is equal to preserving the productivity, and improving the ecological environment means developing the productivity. China has released the 13th Five-Year Plan for the Ecological Environment Protection, and is implementing three actions plans to combat the air, water, and soil pollution, in an effort to improve the environmental quality.

The environmental cooperation between China and Italy dates back to a long time ago and the results are remarkable, added Zhao. The Action Plan on Strengthening the Economic, Trade, Cultural, and Science and Technology Cooperation between China and Italy (2017~2020) jointly issued by the two governments recently identifies environment as one of the priority areas. A while ago, China announced the Guidance on Promoting Green Belt and Road and the Belt and Road Ecological and Environmental Cooperation Plan, providing new impetuses and direction for closer bilateral ties. China stands ready to work with the Italian side to deepen the environmental cooperation in all areas.

Gian Luca Galletti, Italian Minister for the Environment, Land and Sea, commented at the workshop that China has made outstanding achievements in all dimensions over the past three decades, and faces enormous challenges in the process. However, China has demonstrated strong capacity in dealing with challenges. China and Italy have gained plenty experience from previous cooperation and he expected the two sides would deepen bilateral cooperation, contribute to closer ties between the two countries, and set an example for other countries in bilateral environmental cooperation.