On Jun. 15, Minister Li Ganjie met with his Mozambican counterpart Minister Celso Correia in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on ecological and environmental issues of common concern.
China’s ecological and environmental protection sector has witnessed two historic events over the past six months, said Li. One is the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection, the largest event at the highest level and with the deepest influence in the course of China’s environmental protection undertaking. The conference officially establishes the Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and makes systematic deployments for strengthening the ecological and environmental protection and putting up a tough fight against pollution for now and for a period of time to come. At the moment, China is working earnestly to strengthen the weak points in the ecological and environmental sector, constantly raise people’s sense of gains, sense of happiness, and sense of security, and provide solid ecological and environmental support by putting up good fights to protect the blue skies, control the pollution from diesel-fueled cargo trucks, treat the dark and odorous waters in the urban areas and in Bohai Sea, protect and restore the Yangtze River, conserve the source waters, and control the pollution in the agricultural sector and rural areas.
The second landmark event is the foundation of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The Chinese Government’s reshuffle plan puts together the original functions of the former MEP with relevant functions of six other State departments to establish the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The new Ministry is responsible for protecting the environment, overseeing the pollution to the surface and groundwater, onshore and water, land and sea, urban and rural areas, and pollution by carbon monoxide and dioxide, as well as conducting compliance inspection. It is an important step taken by the Chinese Government to accelerate the modernization of the ecological and environmental governance system and governance capacity, which is of great significance to thoroughly acting upon the Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, comprehensively strengthening the ecological and environmental protection, building a beautiful China, and securing the national ecological situations.
Over the past few years, Mozambique and China as developing countries have maintained friendly ties, conducted people-to-people exchange and capacity building in the ecological and environmental protection sector, and played a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding and bilateral friendship, said Li.
President Xi Jinping proposed to set up China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center back at the 2015 Johannesburg Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation & the sixth ministerial meeting, and establish the International Coalition for Green Development on the Belt and Road at the 2017 Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, stressed Li. The preparatory work is under way. China welcomes Mozambican contribution to the green Belt and Road Initiative by sharing experience in green development and conducting practical cooperation.
Minister Correia spoke highly of China’s contributions to and remarkable achievements in protecting the environment and addressing climate change as a responsible country, and shared his country’s objectives and reforms in the environmental protection and climate change sectors. He hoped that the two sides would further bilateral cooperation and be part of the efforts to the establishment of the said cooperation center and coalition.
