President Xi Jinping has called for the protection of Qinghai Lake and other resources of the region during a three-day visit to Qinghai Province. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the protection of the ecosystem as "the most important foundation" of sustainable development, during his three-day visit of Qinghai Province that started Monday, Aug. 22 through Wednesday, Aug. 24.
Xi also called the ecosystem of the place as the region's "biggest merit, responsibility and potential," and urged that measures be taken to ensure that economic, social and environmental developments are taken up altogether, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The President told local officials that he wanted Qinghai to be a model of eco-friendly development, circular economy and ethnic solidarity. He said new concepts must be used to guide development, adding that efforts must be made to deal with structural and mechanism issues which delay development.
Xi stressed that supply-side structural reform is key to development in the future and he urged people to raise the overall quality and efficiency in the supply chain.
The Chinese leader also called on Qinghai to take the main responsibility in safeguarding the Sanjiangyuan region, which is the source of China's three major rivers. He said that there must be coordinated efforts in the implementation of projects such as energy conservation and emission reduction, natural reserves, ecological protection around the Qinghai Lake and desertification control, as well as the return of arable land to grassland and forest.
Xi also visited the Qinghai environmental monitoring center, a Qinghai-Tibet Railway bridge and other locations, including a solar power company in Xining. He praised Qinghai's accomplishments in clean energy as he urged state-owned enterprises to take a leading role in innovation and produce better products.
The President also visited Chaerhan Salt Lake, the country's biggest salt lake, in Qaidam Basin, where he said that exploitation and protection of natural resources must be balanced and urged people to create ways and industrial methods that will result in low consumption, fewer emissions and high returns.
The Chinese leader also went to villages of local people who were relocated from another area to a newly-built Banyan Village in Huzhu Tu Autonomous County.
Xi said that relocation is an effective way to alleviate poverty as he urged villagers to participate in planning future villages.
"The building of new villages should be integrated with measures to promote production and employment, improve basic public services and protect ethnic, regional and cultural features and styles," Xi said.
Xi, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, met with military officers in Qinghai.
