Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for promoting green and low-carbon development and improving the country's ecological environment in the next five years. 

President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while presiding over a study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. 

Protection of the ecological environment and economic development can reinforce each other, Xi said, adding that pursuing green, low-carbon and circular development can facilitate a development path that is more sustainable and secure. 

He stressed strategic resolve on developing ecological civilization and achieving modernization featuring the harmony between man and nature. 

Human-nature harmony is an essential part of China's modernization, according to the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035.

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In the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the strategic focus of China's efforts to advance ecological civilization is to cut carbon emissions, Xi said. The period is crucial for promoting the comprehensive green transformation of the social and economic development and significantly improving the ecological environment, he added. 

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, China has made unprecedented efforts to advance ecological civilization and made unprecedented achievements, he said, stressing that there is still a long way to go. 

China's green revolution is guided by a well-known concept that Xi advocates: "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."  

In 2018, the country incorporated ecological civilization into its Constitution for the first time.  

Meanwhile, China has pledged to peak its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. In its 14th Five-Year Plan, it vows to lower the energy consumption per unit of GDP and its CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 13.5 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

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At Friday's study session, Xi called for upgrading industrial, energy, transportation and land use structures to advance green transformation of the economy. 

The goals of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality are solemn pledges made by China, he stressed, calling for "extensive and profound" economic and social changes to deliver on the pledges. 

He also called for efforts to fight air, water and soil pollution and improve the living environment in rural areas. Heavy air pollution should be basically eliminated, he said.

Besides green transformation at home, China is playing an active part in promoting a green revolution across the world. 

President Xi said China should actively promote global sustainable development and participate in global environmental governance while upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. 

To fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, China should strive to provide more public goods to the world, he added.

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China should strengthen cooperation with other developing countries and neighboring countries and provide capital and technological support to other developing countries within its capacity to help them improve their capabilities on environmental governance, he said, calling for joint efforts to build a green Belt and Road. 

Proposed by President Xi in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. China has vowed to promote high-quality and green development of the Belt and Road. 

Xi also stressed that the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" should be upheld in global environmental governance. He called for maintaining multilateralism and safeguarding China's development interests. 

China will hold the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming from October 11 to 24. Xi called for efforts to hold a successful COP15.