Several buffalo pass through the animal walkway of the Super Major Bridge in Nairobi National Park, which is equipped with a silencer, on May 19, 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya. (Xinhua News Agency/Dong Jianghui)
Beijing, October. 13 (Xinhua News Agency) Over the past decade, China has made solid achievements in promoting green development through fruitful cooperation with Belt and Road (BRI) partners. Attempts to slander and disrupt Belt and Road cooperation under the pretext of environmental protection are nothing but a farce.
Some Western media outlets published reports accusing the initiative of causing “pollution and ecological destruction.” Are they reporting the facts? no!
The truth is that Belt and Road cooperation is of high standards and environmentally friendly, contributing to the control and reduction of pollution in developing countries.
Simply put, China does not transfer polluting industries to other countries and incorporates green development and high-quality industrial capabilities into cooperation to meet the development needs of its partners. Environmental protection is always a priority in Belt and Road projects.
For example, the China-Laos Railway, the flagship project of the Belt and Road Project, avoided passing through six natural and cultural reserves and avoided occupying Laos’ nationally protected forests. The total green area of the entire line is more than 3 million square meters.
Meanwhile, along the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, another important Belt and Road project, many walkways and bridges have been built to ensure the free movement of wildlife. Such rail projects significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to truck transport.
On the question of whether that is a good development, facts speak louder than words.
Take Serbia’s Smederevo Steel Works as an example. When the steel mill was on the verge of bankruptcy, China’s HeSteel Group (HBIS) acquired the Smederevo steel mill and established HBIS Serbia in 2016.
Although some Western media claimed that pollution levels rose after the takeover by Chinese companies, data released by the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency shows that Smederevo’s air quality has increased since the steelworks became new owners in 2016. Pollution is decreasing. In 2020, the number of days when pollutant levels exceeded the threshold decreased by more than 40 percent compared to 2011.
A photo taken on May 27, 2021 shows the Kaposvar solar power plant in Kaposvar, Hungary. (Photo provided by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)
In fact, China’s efforts in Belt and Road cooperation have improved the green development capacity of partner countries. China is a world leader in manufacturing clean energy generation facilities such as wind and solar power, producing more than 70% of the world’s total production of polysilicon, wafers, cells and modules. China’s strengths in clean energy development provide a powerful impetus to driving the global green transition.
China has implemented green energy cooperation projects with more than 100 countries and regions, and investment in green energy and low-carbon energy in Belt and Road partner countries exceeds investment in conventional energy projects there.
China’s green financial products are experiencing rapid growth, supporting green finance. By the end of March, China’s green loan balance in renminbi and foreign currencies exceeded 25 trillion yuan (approx. 3.5 trillion US dollars), and its green bond balance exceeded 1.5 trillion yuan, ranking among the top in the world. ing.
Over the next decade, China is poised to leverage its advantages in renewable energy to provide even more significant support and impetus for low-carbon transformation in Belt and Road countries.
A famous slogan common throughout China is: “Clear streams and green mountains are an invaluable asset.” It clearly expresses China’s environmental protection philosophy.
Internationally, promoting green development under the Belt and Road Initiative is consistent with China’s desire to contribute to building a clean and beautiful world. It is Chinese wisdom applied to building a community with a shared future for humanity.
Although One Belt One Road was proposed by China, it belongs to the whole world. The joint construction of the Green Belt and Road fits into the trend of green and low-carbon development. Green and clean cooperation under the Belt and Road framework will bring more opportunities and results to the people of participating countries as the long-term initiative enters a new and promising decade. ■
