Ecological Civilization is a goal China pursues in its development drive. In Changsha city, officials and researchers from across the country gathered Thursday for a seminar to exchange findings on the concept and practice. Sun Tianyuan reports. 

Participants in Changsha praised Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization on Thursday, calling it a compass for China to achieve modernization and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

SHEN XIAOMING, Party Chief of Hunan Province "High-quality development and high-level protection complement each other. A good ecological environment is a precious asset that cannot be bought or borrowed. If this precious asset is lost, high-quality development will become a water without a source and a tree without roots."

Provinces and regions, like Hunan, have intensified efforts to promote green and low-carbon development under the framework of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.

China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment says there have been great improvements and transformations in multiple sectors over the past decade.

SUN JINLONG, Party Chief, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment "China's ecological civilization construction has shifted from key management to systematic governance, from passive response to proactive action, from a participant in global environmental governance to a leader, and from practical exploration to scientific theory guidance."

Sun says China was the country with the fastest improvement in air quality from the period spanning 2013 to 2022.

Official data shows a nearly 60-percent reduction in PM 2.5 density, a key air pollution indicator, during this period, while maintaining an annual GDP growth rate of over 6-percent.

SUN TIANYUAN, Changsha "This year's seminar will last two days. It also consists of four sub-forums on a range of topics, from building a beautiful China to promoting high-quality development. The hosts say they hope this year's meeting sparks new ideas and solutions to meet future ecological challenges head on. Sun Tianyuan, CGTN, Changsha, Hunan Province."