CPPCC member persists in his push for China's national parks

World
Europe

By CGTN’s Wu Guoxiu

In Beijing, senior CPPCC member Ma Zhiwei spoke on the issue of national parks for what was his 15th time.

In a 20-minute speech for during a panel discussion, he expressed worries about the future of the Three-River Source National Park.

He thinks it should be built so nature and people can co-exist.

He said some US national parks close to the public at times for ecological protection purposes. "Chinese national parks are different. We have a huge population. We can't move people out of them. We should handle the relations between human and nature, as well as protection and economic development," he said.

Senior CPPCC member Ma Zhiwei (C) speaks at a Two Sessions panel on protection of the Three-River Source, for the 15th year in a row. /CGTN photo

For Ma, the ideal is for Qinghai Province, where the Three-River Source park is located, to be transformed into a province of national parks. It can serve as a model for other parts of the country. "We can develop recreational, scientific research and educational programs. These meet the needs of both ecological protection and economic development."

During his work report last Sunday, Premier Li Keqiang said China will carve out a plan for national parks this year.

A fellow CPPCC member said he hopes people will think of Ma whenever the national park issue is mentioned. "He is the first member in our party to discover the issue and raise it. He has been working in Qinghai for several decades, and is also considering the bigger picture."

Senior political advisor Ma says he is expecting to see more progress, after pushing the same issue for 15 years. He says his persistence is motivated by the CPPCC political consultation platform, which allows debates and differing options.

0km