China embraces green growth era with 'greenest' blueprint
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E-mail Xinhua, March 17, 2016
The newfound zeal for green development comes against a backdrop of China's economic shift from the old "growth at all cost" model, which has left air, water and soil tainted, to a sustainable one.
After over three decades of double-digit economic growth, China has arrived at a tipping point where it has to bid farewell to the old growth path and usher in a new chapter for its development strategies.
The ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) has made it one of its policy priorities to provide people with fresh air and clean water.
Skeptics predicting China will backtrack on its green pledge will be disappointed. It has become common sense among the leadership and people that a poor environment is too high a price to pay and "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets themselves."
As a matter of fact, the country's yearning for green growth, instead of dragging down the economy, will be a boon to the economy and unleash a new wave of opportunities for investors at home and abroad.
A whopping market for environment-related products and services, estimated by experts at up to 10 trillion yuan (about 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars), is in the making for businesses in sectors like renewable energy, pollution control, and sewage treatment.
Yes, there is no silver bullet to success and obstacles abound in making such an arduous shift. However, China has shown a solid track record of getting jobs done, no matter how painstaking they are.
A prescription that often goes unnoticed is China's unique governance system which can "concentrate resources to accomplish major undertakings."
Among the essence of traditional Chinese thinking is the concept that "Man is an integral part of nature," and it is in the gene of Chinese people to live in harmony with the environment.
After all, it's an inevitable though hard choice for China to embark on this bumpy but promising road, and there will be no turning back.
