Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao walks into the conference hall where the opening ceremony of the Eco Forum Global Annual Conference Guiyang 2014 starts on the morning of July 11, 2014. [Photo by Ye Hongtao / China.org.cn]

Heavyweights from home and abroad shared experiences of green development at the opening ceremony of the Eco Forum Global Annual Conference Guiyang 2014, which began on Friday morning.

The ceremony saw leaders from home and abroad, including Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao; Xu Jialu, former vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee; Dai Bingguo, former State Councilor; Mulatu Teshome, president of Ethiopia; Joseph Muscat, prime minister of Malta; Hannes Germann, president of the Council of States of the Swiss Parliament; Ham Lini, deputy prime minister of Vanuatu; Sergei Borisovich Ivanov, chief of staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia; Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia; and John Leslie Prescott, former deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom. Distinguished guests also include representatives from international organizations, mayors of domestic and foreign cities, business leaders and scholars.

Zhao Kezhi, party chief of Guizhou Province, read out the congratulation letter from Premier Li Keqiang. In the letter, Premier Li expressed his personal endorsement for the sixth annual gathering, which represents China's structural adjustment driven by structural reform and signals the common responsibility of all concerned parties across the globe. Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon also sent a congratulation letter to the forum, which he believes provides an important platform to facilitate cooperation and action among key decision-makers in China.

Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia, shared his wisdom on curbing global warming. As a global issue, climate change is a key component of sustainable development, he said. Rudd warned there will be irreversible ramifications if the global temperature rise is not controlled within 2 degrees Celsius. At this juncture full of challenges, it is high time for China to show leadership in tackling this thorny issue.

Mulatu Teshome, president of Ethiopia, shared Ethiopia's efforts to cut carbon dioxide in pursuit of green development. He called for collective action to build a better future for humankind. Joseph Muscat, prime minister of Malta, echoed his words and held that collected efforts are the key to addressing key environmental issues. Business and industries are basically at the forefront of pioneering green transformation, and investment in eco-friendly technology will pay off.

Hannes Germann, president of the Council of States of the Swiss Parliament, said this gathering is timely, as China's new leadership have made it clear that dynamic economic growth and the preservation of a healthy ecological environment is equally vital.

The theme of this year's forum is "Joining Hands, Leveraging Reforms to Bring Forth a New Era of Eco-civilization -- Government, Enterprise and Civil Society: Institutional Framework and Paths towards Green Development."