Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged a continuous push for the construction of an ecological civilization, referring to these efforts as a "strategic resolve" on the country's new journey towards building a socialist modern country in an all-round way.

August 15 marks China's first National Ecology Day, with Xi issuing these instructions. Specifically, the president highlighted the country's "dual carbon goal" of reaching carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. He called on the Chinese people to continue a green and low-carbon transformation in their production modes and ways of living.

He expressed his hope to see the entire society vigorously promoting and serving as role models in embracing the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. 

Ecological conservation is of vital importance to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, Xi said, calling it a major political issue that concerns the mission and purpose of the Communist Party of China (CPC) as well as a major social issue that bears upon the public's well-being.

On the new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects, efforts should be made to maintain strategic resolve in advancing ecological progress and promote high-quality development in sync with high-standard protection, Xi said.

With a focus on carbon peak and carbon neutrality, the country should facilitate the gradual transition from dual control over the amount and intensity of energy consumption to dual control over the amount and intensity of carbon emissions, Xi noted.

He called for concrete and constant efforts across the society to make greater contributions to jointly building a clean and beautiful world.

Xi's instructions were conveyed by Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, at the opening ceremony of an event marking the National Ecology Day held Tuesday in Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province.

Addressing the ceremony, Ding stressed the significance of building a Beautiful China, and called for more efforts to create a high-quality ecological environment to support high-quality development and accelerate the advancement of modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature.

Ding urged grasping Tuesday's event as an opportunity to deepen the public's understanding of Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization and improve people's awareness and behavior in protecting the ecological environment.

Lawmakers adopted a decision to designate August 15 as the National Ecology Day at the third session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress in June this year. 

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: An aerial view of the Shuanggui Lake national wetland park in Liangping District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, August 13, 2023. /CFP)