Ecological development hailed at forum

Foreign participants at an international symposium on Thursday hailed China's achievements in green development and the country's contributions to the energy transition of other developing countries.

"China, the economically challenged country I first visited in 1988, is now the world leader in electric vehicles, renewable energy from wind, water and the sun itself. For the first time, wind and solar energy now produce more power than coal," said Harvey Cary Dzodin, chairman of the HCD Earthcare Culture Association.

"China is so successful that the United States and the European Union falsely accuse China of needlessly flooding their marketplaces with below market-priced subsidized EVs, solar panels and the like. At a time when the world faces an existential environmental threat to life on this planet as we know it, China's efforts should be celebrated and praised, not condemned and prevented," said Dzodin.

He was speaking at a symposium themed "Environment, Development and Human Rights: Green and Low-carbon Development in the Process of Modernization", which was held in Beijing on Thursday.

About 70 international experts from countries including the US, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Cambodia and Thailand, attended the event, which was hosted by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development and China Datang Corp.

Speaking of the role of China in sustainable development, Lokita Prasetya, vice-president of PT Dian Swastatika Sentosa Tbk, an energy and infrastructure company in Indonesia, said, "China has taken a leading role in global renewable energy innovation and economic advancement, demonstrated by its ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060."

Chuop Paris, secretary of state at the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, said that in the process of Cambodia's green and low-carbon development, the active participation and contributions of Chinese enterprises are crucial.

By the end of last year, the installed capacity of operational power projects led by Chinese enterprises in Cambodia accounted for about 60 percent of the entire installed capacity in the Southeast Asian country, reflecting Chinese firms' prominent contributions to energy transition and green low-carbon development in his nation, Paris said.

He added that projects contracted to be built by Chinese companies in Cambodia, which continuously supply electricity to hundreds of thousands of households, improve the livelihoods of people there.

Prior to the symposium, the international experts paid visits to the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Zhejiang province to gain a greater understanding of various Chinese initiatives, including the high-quality development of new energy, grassroots ecological civilization construction, rural vitalization, as well as ecological restoration. Some experts observed the vibrant practices of Chinese modernization in Ningbo, Zhejiang, with a focus on green, low-carbon and sustainable development.

Ding Zhongli, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, said at the symposium that China — holding high the great banner of a community with a shared future for mankind and aiming to build a cleaner and more beautiful world — is earnestly fulfilling its solemn commitments to its dual carbon goals.

Through high-quality platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative, China actively engages in bilateral and multilateral green cooperation, making significant contributions to global sustainable development, said Ding.

"Practicing multilateralism, enhancing cooperation and upholding fairness and justice are the only correct paths in addressing global challenges like climate change. We look forward to the international community deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in key areas such as green infrastructure, green energy, green industries, green trade and green finance," he said.