Combating pollution and securing high-quality development was first proposed at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2017. This ideal is in line with Chinese people's aspirations for a better life and conducive to realizing the task of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020. It is also a strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee with General Secretary Xi Jinping at its core based on a clear understanding of China's unique development features at the current stage.

Environmental issues in essence are about the development mode, economic structure and consumption model. So to solve environmental issues we need to have an industrial mix, production mode and way of life that are energy saving and environmentally friendly. Environmental protection is also crucial to a high-quality modern economic system. As Xi stresses, pollution prevention and control is a vital link in the economy's transition from high-speed growth to high-quality development. Therefore, we should strike a balance between economic development and environmental protection and explore a new path to high-quality development that prioritizes the ecology and green development.

The Chinese government has strengthened its efforts to curb air, water and soil pollution in recent years with stricter law enforcement and vigorous reforms. Tangible results have been delivered. In 2018, 79.3 percent of the 338 cities monitored enjoyed good or better air quality with PM2.5 levels declining by 9.3 percent on average on a year-on-year basis. The PM2.5 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region dropped by 11.8 percent, 10.2 percent in the Yangtze River Delta and 10.8 percent in the Fenwei Plain. Also 71 percent of the monitored surface water was rated good or better, while the proportion of water rated poor quality decreased to 6.7 percent.

Environmental protection efforts have become important drivers of high-quality development. As the heavy polluting, high energy consuming and low technology companies are being phased out, green industries are booming and traditional industries are being upgraded. The heavy polluting and ill managed companies are being weeded out to create a healthy playing field for those law abiding ones. Black and malodorous water bodies have been treated and the areas around them transformed into recreational parks and hubs for tech companies. Coal is being replaced with electricity and natural gas, which is not only giving a boost to consumption and investment but also raising living standards. In 2018, nationwide investment in ecological protection and environmental rehabilitation increased by 43 percent, and with their increasing contribution to economic growth, environmental protection industries are now a highlight of the economy.

However, challenges remain. With downward economic pressure, some regions are showing a weakening resolve for environmental protection efforts and relaxing their supervision and management. Xi has stressed that environmental protection and economic development are two reinforcing parts of one organic unity, that the latter should never be pursued at the expense of the former. The bottom line must be upheld and the resolve to protect the environment must be strengthened. Otherwise, all the previous efforts will be wasted and new dangers will be encountered in the future.

Xi's thought on building an ecological civilization should be earnestly implemented so that man and nature can coexist in harmony and that pollution is controlled and prevented. In this process, the focus should be on reducing pollutants, adjusting the industrial structure and promoting social harmony. In this way environmental, economic and social benefits will be produced simultaneously. The environmental protection efforts should be leveraged to accelerate industrial upgrading and transformation of the country's economic growth engines to achieve high-quality development.

Protecting the nation's natural assets

While pushing forward supplyside structural reform, environmental standards will be improved, a permit system for the discharging of pollutants executed and mandatory checks and approval for polluting industries carried out. Outdated and excess production capacity should continue to be phased out and zombie enterprises shut down to make sure that resources are effectively allocated and utilized.

To strengthen environmental management, supervision and law enforcement, reform of the environmental impact assessment will be pursued to highlight the three lines and one list (redline of ecological protection, bottom line of environment quality, cap on using resources and list of access). Environmental protection supervision will be enhanced with the coordinated efforts of different departments, and polluters will be punished in accordance with the law.

The creating of an ecological civilization and environmental protection will be applied to major national strategies such as the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, construction of the Xiongan New Area, and rejuvenation of the Northeast China.

To speed up development of the environmental protection industries, a government-led and market-dominated approach will be followed to accelerate the materialization of major environmental treatment programs, promote innovation in models and mechanisms, improve pricing, taxation and investment policies, enhance guidance and support for companies' pollution treating efforts, encourage green development and nurture new growth engines.

It's my firm conviction, China will be able to coordinate socioeconomic development and environmental protection so that the sky becomes bluer, mountains lusher and rivers clearer, and the nation will embrace the bright prospects of sustained development.

Li Ganjie is minister of ecology and environment. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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