Li Heyue speaks during a discussion in Beijing. [Photo/Jilin Daily]

Li Heyue, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from Northeast China's Jilin province, made a proposal to build a national pilot city for ecological restoration in Liaoyuan city in Jilin.

Located at the headwaters of the East Liaohe River, environmentalists say Liaoyuan city is an important water conservation area and is a pilot city for the rehabilitation of exhausted national resources.

Local officials say the city is a demonstration area for the comprehensive management of mountains, rivers, forests, lakes and grasslands in Jilin province, as well as being a demonstration base for ecological safety and food safety.

Implementing Liaoyuan city's ecological restoration would be part of the broader picture of the push to improve the environment nationally, which could be related to its food security, the CPPCC member said.

He recommended that the Ministry of Natural Resources list Liaoyuan city as a national land and space ecological restoration demonstration zone and urged the country to give policy support for its forest land restoration and development.

He also recommended support for the pilot project involving the comprehensive management of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes and grasslands in the Liaohe River Basin of Jilin province and said he looked to support coming from the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.