By LONG Yun, BI Weizi, CHEN Chunyou & ZHONG Jianli

The landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in Southwest China's Yunnan province. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

For over a decade, China has made impressive strides in ecological and environmental protection, a fact often applauded by foreign experts living and working in the country. Some of them have seen the effective policies driving sustainable development and participated in helping develop China's green industries, while others have witnessed the country's committed efforts to promote international biodiversity. Science and Technology Daily (S&T Daily) caught up with some of them to get their thoughts on China's green wave of success.

Defender of biodiversity

China released the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023-2030) in January 2024, and is now drafting a plan to implement major biodiversity conservation projects. Meanwhile, China is actively deepening international cooperation and contributing to global biodiversity governance.

"I think China has shown that it's taken leadership in this role through the Kunming-Montreal meetings. It's always been a firm supporter of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity," said Irish scientist Kyle Warwick Tomlinson, principal investigator of the Community Ecology and Conservation Group at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Official data shows that 90 percent of terrestrial ecosystem types and 74 percent of key protected wildlife species populations were under protection in China nationwide.

Spanish scientist Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, principal investigator of the Megafauna Ecology and Conservation Group of XTBG, CAS, said, "China plays a role internationally, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, in helping the development of infrastructure in some other countries. I think this could be used not only for development but also for conservation."

Campos-Arceiz noted that in Xishuangbanna, a border area with Myanmar and Laos, there is collaboration with those countries for joint monitoring and protection. "It's an excellent example of transboundary cooperation," he said.

Starting in 2015, China has launched 10 pilot national parks to protect its natural environment and biodiversity. In December 2022, China took another green step forward by planning to create the world's largest national park system by 2035.

"More recently, China started undertaking this ambitious project to form national parks across China. This project is very important because national parks are large areas that are crucial for conserving biodiversity, as they maintain whole ecosystem processes," said Tomlinson, adding that, "China has made impressive gains in ecological protection over the last 10 years."

Practitioner of sustainable development

Ecological civilization is a concept promoted for balanced and sustainable development that features harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. This concept has encouraged many Chinese cities to pursue green development, and high-quality and sustainable growth.

The concept is applauded by South African scientist Michael Meadows, professor in the School of Geography and Ocean Sciences at the Nanjing University in east China's Jiangsu province. He told S&T Daily that he is "personally very impressed with what the Chinese government has achieved at the policy level."

Meanwhile, American writer and traveler Brian Linden, who came to China in 1984, has seen firsthand the country's transition towards a better quality of life since 2000. "The air quality has improved dramatically. I never imagined that we could see such changes within 10 years," he said. "China has achieved a wonderful balance between economic development and environmental protection. The world should be appreciative of China's efforts."

The Shan-Shui Initiative, translated as the "mountains and rivers" initiative, has restored over 100 million mu (about 6.7 million hectares) of land since its implementation in 2016. This has helped China contribute a quarter of the world's new forest area since the beginning of this century and becoming the first country in the world to achieve zero net land degradation.

Linden said that initiatives such as these demonstrate China's commitment to improving the environment. "I hope the world understands that China has made dramatic per capita improvements for a population of 1.4 billion people," he added.

Promoter of green industries

The green upgrading of traditional industries is advancing worldwide, and China is spearheading the development of green industries through practical initiatives and innovations.

One example is a pioneering project farming land-based Atlantic salmon from eggs, which was established in Xiangshan, a county in Zhejiang's Ningbo city. Since this April, locally farmed Atlantic salmon has appeared on the shelves of restaurants and supermarkets across the Yangtze River Delta.

"We are very grateful for the support we have received from the local government in creating this [salmon farming initiative] and making it happen," said Norwegian fishery expert Andreas Thorud, managing director of the project's Nordic Aqua Ningbo company.

The natural conditions required for farming Atlantic salmon are extremely stringent, but the ecological environment and geographical location of Xiangshan are perfectly suited for this project. Like Norway, Ningbo has vast sea areas, a great environment, and a rich tradition of aquaculture.

In 2023, China launched the Belt and Road Blue Cooperation Initiative, promoting the development of marine renewable energy, seawater desalination, sustainable fisheries, and other industries to ensure the sustainable use of marine resources benefits all.

"I think this could also be beneficial for the government's target of modernizing aquaculture and providing a healthy, tasty protein source," said Thorud.