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The news conference held in Beijing on Aug 9 focuses on poverty alleviation achievements in Guizhou. [Photo/gog.cn] |
Q3: When mentioning Guizhou province, people relate it to images of lucid waters, lush mountains, fresh air, and cool weather. How does Guizhou promote its ecological civilization construction?
Shen: Thanks for your concern about Guizhou's ecological civilization. As you said, the lucid water and lush mountains have now become synonymous with Guizhou's image. However, the situation hadn't been improved until recent years. In 1975, the forest coverage rate in Guizhou was only 22.8 percent. With years of hard work, the number increased to 57 percent in 2018. Especially during the past eight years, which is the most successful period of Guizhou's ecological civilization construction, the forest coverage has been increased by 14.5 percentage points.
During its ecological civilization work, Guizhou follows these principles. First, Guizhou implements the big ecological strategic action, and balances economic development and environment protection. Guizhou set June 18 as Ecological Day. The province aims for high-end, green, and intensive industrial development, popularizing the consciousness of ecological civilization across the province.
Second, Guizhou responds to the environment protection action of the Yangtze River Economic Zone, and takes measures to build the ecological barrier. As a key ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River, Guizhou insists on environment protection, promotes the construction of green Guizhou.
Officials of the provincial, municipal, county, and village governments plant trees on mountains on the first work day after the Spring Festival holiday, as well as patrol rivers every Ecological Day. In recent years, the province's days of good air quality is over 97 percent. In the past five years, rocky desertification areas have been reduced by more than 8.3 million mu (553,333.33 hectares). The water quality of the main rivers has reached a 100 percent rate of excellent.
Third, Guizhou is committed to rectifying pollution problems and will do its best to maintain the blue sky, lucid waters, clean land, and rural environmental governance. Guizhou has innovated in the pollution control of the phosphorus chemical industry and bans net-pen aquaculture.
Fourth, led by the construction of the national ecological civilization pilot area, Guizhou will push forward the reform of the ecological civilization system. Guizhou has carried out more than 100 reforms in the ecological civilization system, set up judicial departments for ecological environment protection, and launched regulations for promoting the construction of ecological civilization, which have exerted great influence throughout the country.
Many innovative reforms, such as outgoing auditing of natural resources assets, compensation for ecological damages, as well as public interest litigation for environmental protection and the green economy, provide beneficial experiences for the construction of national ecological civilization in China.
Fifth, Guizhou takes the Eco Form Global in Guiyang as a platform that strengthens exchanges and cooperation of ecological civilization with other countries. The forum is the only national-level international forum with the theme of ecological civilization and has received praise from the international community.
In recent years, Guizhou's public satisfaction of ecological civilization ranks first in the country. Guizhou will ensure that its lucid waters and lush mountains remain invaluable assets.
Q4: Macao and Guizhou launched poverty alleviation cooperation in 2018. What progress has been made in poverty alleviation cooperation between the two regions? Is there any further plans? Thank you.
Shen: Since the cooperation between Macao and Congjiang county in southeastern Guizhou on poverty alleviation, remarkable results have been achieved. Macao attaches great importance to the cooperation and made a special trip to Congjiang to conduct field visits and carry out assistance. People from all walks of life in Macao have actively participated in various forms of assistance. Macao has carried out industrial poverty alleviation, supported tourism talent training, organized tourists from Macao to travel in Congjiang, helped sell agricultural products, and opened up channels for agricultural products from Congjiang to be sold in Macao. Congjiang has also received donations from Macao for education development and poverty alleviation.
Macao's assistance to Congjiang is a vivid practical example of "one country, two systems," and the philanthropic act of Macao and Guizhou residents to alleviate poverty has aroused wide acclaim in all spheres of the public. The people of Guizhou, especially those in Congjiang, are very grateful for Macao's help. Guizhou will fight harder against poverty in return for Macao's assistance. Thank you.
