BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 Beijing is an ideal place to understand China's ideas of green development and learn how far the country has gone.
Themed "Live Green, Live Better," the expo features a vast collection of flowers, fruit trees, Chinese herbal medicines and plant landscaping techniques, as well as ideas for green development.
It is a good platform to learn China's vision of how man and nature could live in harmony, and also to showcase what China has progressed in realizing an ecological civilization, a new catchphrase in the country, to make the world's second-largest economy a more livable place.
In his speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the expo, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a five-point initiative on promoting green development: pursuing harmony between man and nature, the prosperity based on green development, a passion for nature-caring lifestyle, a scientific spirit in ecological governance, and cooperation to tackle environmental challenges.
When the green development concept is spreading to every corner of the world, we have every reason to be confident of ensuring greener lives for generations to come.
At the foot of the Great Wall in the capital's Yanqing district where the expo is held, visitors would find more than gardening products.
Organizers have implemented China's eco-friendly concept throughout the exhibition's preparation work.
For instance, over 1,000 photovoltaic glass panels have been installed on the roof of the Chinese Pavilion to utilize solar energy. A rainwater collection system and a storage pond underground are used to irrigate the terrace field on which the pavilion is based.
With the help of modern technology, the pavilion makes good use of the environment and in the meantime, preserves the local ecological system. Such ideas come from the country's continued efforts to prevent and control pollution.
Over the past years, China has carried out intensified measures including cutting coal-fired power plants' emissions, reducing iron- and steel-making capacity, stepping up support for renewable energy, as well as continuing afforestation campaigns.
"China is winning its war against pollution," according to a 2018 study by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago. Concentrations of fine particulates in Chinese cities have decreased by an average rate of 32 percent since 2014, the study said.
Apart from air quality improvement, significant progress has been made in terms of water and soil protection in China.
Once a vital problem for the country, environmental protection has now gained China a world-renowned reputation.
"China has a lot to offer in terms of lessons, for example, on how the government set up policies to address the issue of pollution," said Joyce Msuya, acting executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme.
More importantly, China is willing to share its experience and strengthen cooperation with other countries to deal with global environmental issues such as climate change, marine pollution and biological protection.
Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and improving ecological environment is increasing productivity.
Featuring China's wisdom of harmony, the Beijing expo, the largest of its kind in history, will demonstrate to the world that living green means living better.