Photography: Jia Jiheng, China Environment News

By Zhang Qiulei, China Environment News, Beijing, August 28  MEP Minister Zhou Shengxian met with Ms. Elba Rosa Perez Montoya, Minister for Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba in Beijing today. They exchanged views on bilateral cooperation in the field of environmental protection.

Zhou first welcomed Ms. Elba Rosa Perez Montoya on behalf of MEP and introduced to the guest the latest development of China’s environmental work. He noted that the Chinese government values environmental protection and takes environmental protection as a basic state policy. By pushing ahead with the strategy of sustainable development, we have made remarkable achievement. Nevertheless, we must keep a sober mind that China is still in a stage of rapid industrialization and urbanization, accompanied with problems including irrational industrial structure, sharpening conflict between economic development and environmental resources and ever worsening ecological degradation and environmental pollution that concern the immediate interest of the public. Under the new situation, the Chinese government explicitly put forward the thought of exploring a new path to environmental protection fit for China’s national conditions. This requires us to give full play to the comprehensive role of environmental protection to optimize economic development, properly handle the relationship between environmental protection and economic development, stick to the principle of putting protection in the first place and strive for environmental protection in the process of economic development and seek economic development in the course of environmental protection. The three most important tasks for us at present and in the near future are as follows: deepening air pollution control by preventing and controlling PM2.5; strengthening prevention and control of air pollution in river basins and groundwater system to ensure drinking water safety; and advancing rural environmental protection by focusing on soil pollution.

Zhou said China and Cuba enjoys long-standing friendship. We hope the environmental departments in the two countries will play an active role in environmental cooperation, strengthen communications and work together to make progress and achieve a win-win deal.

Elba Rosa Perez Montoya thanked Zhou for his warm reception and appreciated China’s achievement in environmental protection. She also expressed willingness to strengthen environmental cooperation with China and learn from each other.