Editor's note: 70 years ago, the new People's Republic set out against the rising sun, completely changing the tragic fate of poverty, weakness and bullying in China over 100 years after modern times, and the Chinese nation embarked on a grand road to achieve great rejuvenation. Over the past 70 years, the face of our great motherland, the face of our great people and the face of the Chinese nation has undergone unprecedented changes. Under the guidance of the Network News and Information Communication Bureau (Network Theory Communication Bureau) of the Central Cyberspace Office, the People's Daily Online, the History and Documentation Network of the Communist Party of China, and the National History Network of the People's Republic of China jointly launched a series of theoretical videos of the "National History Lecture Hall" to sort out the brilliant achievements and historical experience of New China in various fields in the past 70 years, Please pay attention to the historical and practical significance of adhering to and developing the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Profile of guests in this issue:
Huang Chengliang, Director of the Theory Department of the Ecological Civilization Research Think Tank of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Highlights:
·Over the past 70 years since the founding of New China, China's environmental protection cause has started, explored, and gradually improved in difficulties to achieve orderly development. The whole society's understanding of environmental protection and the construction of ecological civilization has continued to deepen, the results of pollution control have continued to show, the ecological environment has continued to improve, and the construction of ecological civilization has been steadily promoted.
·The construction of ecological civilization, in the final analysis, lies in realizing the harmonious competition between man and nature, and in correctly handling the relationship between man and nature. The protection of ecological environment should not be a matter of abandoning the edge of economic development to seek fish, but should adhere to protection in development and development in protection, so as to realize the coordination of economic and social development with population, resources and environment. The current situation facing China's ecological civilization construction is still very serious, and there is still a long way to go in the future.
·Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has incorporated ecological civilization construction into the "Five in One" overall layout and the "Four Comprehensive" strategic layout, formed Xi Jinping's ecological civilization thought, and promoted China's ecological civilization construction to achieve historic achievements, historic changes, and historic, turning, and overall changes.
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Lecture Record:
Over the past 70 years since the founding of New China, China's environmental protection cause has started, explored, and gradually improved in difficulties to achieve orderly development. The whole society's understanding of environmental protection and the construction of ecological civilization has continued to deepen, the results of pollution control have continued to show, the ecological environment has continued to improve, and the construction of ecological civilization has been steadily promoted. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has incorporated the construction of ecological civilization into the overall layout of "Five in One" and the strategic layout of "Four Comprehensions", formed Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization, and promoted the construction of ecological civilization in China to achieve historic achievements, historic changes, and historic, turning, and overall changes. The green development paradigm revealed by General Secretary Xi Jinping's scientific assertion that "green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains" puts forward the triple realm of ecological civilization construction in the new era.
The initial stage of China's ecological civilization construction:
Development is the first priority, both green water and green mountains, as well as gold and silver mountains
In the early days of the founding of New China, the mountains and rivers were broken and a hundred wastes were waiting to be developed. The task of developing the economy was very heavy. The founders of New China, represented by Comrade Mao Zedong, first established a three-year national economic recovery period after the founding of New China, and then launched the first five-year plan from 1953 to 1957. With the assistance of the Soviet Union, we will comprehensively develop heavy chemical industry projects and heavy machinery manufacturing projects covering all major areas of the national economy, such as power stations, coal mines, oil refineries, Anshan Iron and Steel Group, Wuhan Iron and Steel Group, Baotou Iron and Steel Group, No. 1 Heavy Machinery Factory, No. 1 Automobile Factory, No. 1 Tractor Factory, etc. With the expansion of industrialization and economic development, pollution problems began to appear. However, as the national economy has just entered the right track, the country's industrialization has just started, and environmental pollution only occurs in some areas with a relatively low degree, the Party and the country have not clearly put forward the concept of environmental protection and formulated corresponding environmental protection policies. Nevertheless, in the process of economic construction, relevant departments have issued some documents and regulations with environmental protection functions, and some cities have also taken some measures to protect the environment. For example, the patriotic health movement that rose in 1952 defined the work of urban environmental renovation; In October 1953, the Beijing Municipal Government issued the Notice on Reducing Urban Noise. The "Great Leap Forward" and the iron and steel smelting movement started in 1958, due to the rapid increase in the number of small enterprises with backward technology and intensive pollution, made the industrial structure show a trend of heavy chemical industry with intensive pollution. In response to the emerging environmental problems, in the early 1960s, the central government took some remedial measures, vigorously pursued the policy of "comprehensive utilization of industrial waste", put forward the idea of "three simultaneities", and the industrial sector also put forward the slogan of "turning waste into treasure". In June 1972, the United Nations Conference on Human Environment was held and the Declaration on Human Environment was adopted. This is a historic milestone in the history of mankind. The Chinese government has sent delegations to express its principled position on environmental issues many times. In August 1973, under the promotion of Zhou Enlai, the first national environmental protection conference was held, which formulated the first 32 word policy for environmental protection in New China. This marks the formal awakening of China's environmental awareness and the start of China's modern environmental protection.
On the whole, this historical stage is the "first stage" mentioned by General Secretary Xi Jinping, which is "to exchange green water and green mountains for gold and silver mountains", with little or no consideration of the carrying capacity of environmental resources ". From the perspective of the rise and development of the environmental protection movement, environmental protection is caused by the excessive environmental pollution caused by industrial development, which first attracted the attention of the western industrialized countries. The rise of the environmental protection movement in the 20th century is generally believed to be triggered by the Silent Spring published by American biologist Rachel Carson in 1962, which was the first to launch in the United States. The rise of the worldwide human like environmental movement has not lasted more than half a century. From the perspective of China's situation, reviewing the historical starting point of China's ecological civilization construction in the past 70 years, we have to mention the governance of the four major water conservancy projects and the call of "greening the motherland" issued by Comrade Mao Zedong, the first generation of leading collective of the Communist Party of China represented by Comrade Mao Zedong, in the early days of the founding of New China.
In the summer of 1950, a catastrophic flood disaster occurred in the Huaihe River basin, causing more than 13 million people in Henan and Anhui to be affected, tens of millions of acres of land to be flooded, and people to suffer huge losses of life and property. Comrade Mao Zedong asked us to consider a radical solution and launch a large-scale Huaihe River diversion project in the autumn. On October 14, the Government Affairs Council issued the Decision on Harnessing the Huaihe River, marking the beginning of the first large-scale water conservancy project in New China. In May 1951, Comrade Mao Zedong wrote an inscription: "Huaihe River must be repaired". At the same time of harnessing the Huaihe River, in October 1950, Comrade Zhou Enlai presided over a meeting of the government council to study the flood control works of the Jingjiang River on the Yangtze River. Since then, with the continuous promotion of Comrade Mao Zedong and Comrade Zhou Enlai, the Jingjiang River flood diversion project was fully started in April 1952, and was completed in only 75 days. From July to August 1954, the Yangtze River experienced the largest flood in history since there was a hydrological record. Comrade Mao Zedong wrote an inscription saying: "To celebrate the victory of the people of Wuhan over the flood of 1954, we must be prepared to overcome the same serious floods that may occur in the future.". Since then, when inspecting the Yellow River, Comrade Mao Zedong has issued a great call that has been widely spread, mobilized and encouraged generations to harness the Yellow River: "We must do a good job of the Yellow River", and also put forward that "we must thoroughly harness the Haihe River". Similarly, Comrade Mao Zedong called for "greening the motherland", which has influenced generations of Chinese Communists and the Chinese people.
Throughout the practice and call of the founders of New China, represented by Comrade Mao Zedong, in the early days of the founding of New China to govern the water and green the motherland, all reflect the inherent green feelings of the Chinese Communists; Many strategies and ideas are still the goal of building a moderately prosperous society and a beautiful China today. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has paid great attention to the Mother River, and has taken a holistic view and overall plan. In Qinghai, General Secretary Xi Jinping demanded that Qinghai must take the major responsibility of protecting the sources of the three rivers and the "Chinese Water Tower" to ensure that "a clear river flows eastward"; In Chongqing and Wuhan, General Secretary Xi Jinping personally presided over and deployed the forum to promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, pointing out that "to promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, we must consider the long-term interests of the Chinese nation, take the path of ecological priority and green development, so that green water and green mountains can produce huge ecological benefits, economic benefits and social benefits, and keep the mother river alive forever"; In August and September this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Gansu and Henan. General Secretary Xi Jinping successively inspected the Yellow River and proposed to strengthen its governance and protection and promote high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. Comrade Mao Zedong once said affectionately, "The Yellow River is great, and it is the origin of our Chinese nation. People say, 'I will not die until I reach the Yellow River,' and I will not die when I reach the Yellow River." General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the reason why we should focus on ecological and environmental problems is because if we do not pay close attention to them, let the problems of ecological damage continue to arise, It is difficult for us to fundamentally reverse the trend of deterioration of our ecological environment, which is irresponsible for the Chinese nation and future generations. These important statements reflect the people's leaders' profound thinking and sense of historical mission on building a beautiful China and realizing the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, and highlight the CPC's profound understanding and systematic grasp of the laws of human ecology and civilization development, natural law and economic and social development.
The development stage of China's ecological civilization construction:
We should not sacrifice the environment for temporary development. We should prefer green water and green mountains to gold and silver mountains
The "second stage" mentioned by General Secretary Xi Jinping, that is, the stage of "not only gold and silver, but also green water and green mountains". This historical period, spanning a long time, can cover the entire historical period from the beginning of reform and opening up to the beginning of this century and before the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. From the perspective of the great achievements in the construction of ecological civilization, the second generation of the central collective leadership of the Party with Deng Xiaoping as the core paid more attention to the construction of the rule of law, elevated environmental protection as a basic national policy of China, and paid more attention to the construction of organizational structures, laying the foundation for the legalization, institutionalization and systematization of environmental protection in China; The third generation of the Party's collective leadership with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core, conforming to the historical trend and the trend of human social development, wrote the sustainable development strategy into the report of the 15th National Congress of the Party, and made it clear that China's economic and social development should follow the path of sustainable development; The CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Hu Jintao as the General Secretary, proposed to establish and implement the scientific development concept of comprehensive development, coordinated development and sustainable development, and pointed out that it should "fully consider the affordability of resources and environment in promoting development, and consider the needs of current and future development as a whole", and "achieve a virtuous cycle of natural ecosystem and socio-economic system". In particular, at the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in 2007, our party wrote the concept of "ecological civilization" into the report of the party's congress for the first time, making ecological civilization, together with socialist material civilization, spiritual civilization and political civilization, become the basic characteristics and important components of the form of socialist social civilization with Chinese characteristics, It marks the proposal of the CPC's new concept of coordinating the harmony between man and nature and the major innovation and change of the Party's governing concept and mode of ecological environment protection.
On the whole, in this historical period, industrialization and urbanization progressed by leaps and bounds. The Chinese people have created an amazing "Chinese miracle" in the history of world economic development with their hard work, tenacity and wisdom. At the same time, it must be noted that in practice, we once allowed the economic construction of "getting on the train first, then making up the ticket", "pollution first, then treatment", "pollution while treatment", and "pollution only, no treatment" to take precedence over environmental protection and environmental protection to give way to economic construction. In terms of the relationship between economic development and environmental protection, we have overused or even abused natural resources for economic benefits; As soon as environmental protection is emphasized, it is opposed to economic construction, so that economic and social development and ecological environment protection repeatedly appear the dualistic paradox of "grasping is death" and "releasing is chaos". On the whole, in this historical period, the Party and the state have made great efforts to strengthen environmental protection and ecological civilization construction, but the economic growth mode is still too extensive, energy and resources consumption is still too fast, resources cannot support, environment cannot accommodate, society cannot afford, and development is difficult to sustain. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "If extensive development continues, even if the goal of doubling GDP is achieved, what will be the situation of pollution? At that time, the resources and environment may not be able to bear the burden." We must explore a new path of competition and cooperation between environmental protection and economic development in an all-round and three-dimensional way, and open up a new era of socialist ecological civilization.
The stage of perfection and maturity of China's ecological civilization construction:
Under the guidance of Xi Jinping's ecological civilization thought, green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains, and the modernization of building harmony between man and nature
In the new era, Xi Jinping's ecological civilization ideology has become the fundamental principle of China's ecological civilization construction. Xi Jinping's ecological civilization thought adheres to the natural view of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and the development view that green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains. It deeply answers the major theoretical and practical questions of why to build an ecological civilization, what kind of ecological civilization to build, and how to build an ecological civilization, It not only provides the fundamental theoretical guidance for promoting China's transformation from an industrial civilization to an ecological civilization paradigm, but also becomes the common wealth for human society to achieve green development. The construction of China's ecological civilization has thus entered the highest stage of the development of General Secretary Xi Jinping's "Two Mountains Theory". Green water and green mountains are the golden and silver mountains. Here, we focus on two points: first, green water and green mountains are the essence and rich connotation of Jinshan and Yinshan; Second, green water and green mountains are the practice paradigm and triple realm of Jinshan and Yinshan.
Systematically grasp the essence and rich connotation of the idea that green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains. The construction of ecological civilization, in the final analysis, lies in realizing the harmonious competition between man and nature, and in correctly handling the relationship between man and nature. Economic development should not be a waste of resources and ecological environment, and ecological environment protection should not be a waste of economic development, but should adhere to protection in development and development in protection, so as to achieve economic and social development in harmony with population, resources and environment. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The relationship between green water and green mountains and golden mountains and silver mountains I mentioned is the internal requirement for achieving sustainable development, and is also a major principle for us to promote modernization." In the new era, we should adhere to Learning from General Secretary Xi Jinping's important statement on ecological civilization construction, systematically grasp the rich connotation of the idea that green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains.
First, green water and green mountains "themselves are" golden mountains and silver mountains ". In March 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the deliberation of the Guizhou delegation of the National People's Congress: "Why are green waters and green mountains golden mountains and silver mountains? 'Fish live by water and grass, birds live by good trees'... Green waters and green mountains are not only natural wealth, but also social wealth and economic wealth." He repeatedly stressed: "There is no substitute for the ecological environment, and it is hard to use it. ”At the conference commemorating the 200th anniversary of Marx's birth, he also pointed out that human beings produce, live and develop in the interaction with nature. Human beings treat nature well, and nature will also give gifts to human beings. These important statements all show that nature is the mother of life, people and nature are the community of life, and "evergreen trees are cash cows".
Second, green water and green mountains are the most equitable public goods and the most inclusive people's well-being. People's nature is the most distinctive character of Marxism. Adhering to the people centered development thought all the time is the conscious responsibility of the Chinese Communists with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core who never forget their original intention and remember their mission. Green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains. It is also the in-depth thinking of General Secretary Xi Jinping on how to better adapt to and meet the people's new expectations for a good ecological environment in the new era. Xi Jinping pointed out that "the construction of ecological civilization should be put in a more prominent position. This is where the public opinion lies." "The well-off society is not comprehensive, and the quality of the ecological environment is the key.". In recent years, the people have a strong desire to breathe fresh air, drink clean water and eat safe food. In the new era, we need to take solving prominent ecological and environmental problems as a priority area for people's livelihood, firmly win the blue sky defense war, deeply implement and comprehensively implement the action plan for water pollution and soil pollution prevention, build beautiful villages, and constantly create a livable living environment with blue sky, clean water, and green land for the people.
Third, green water and green mountains are Jinshan and Yinshan that provide new ideas for exploring ecological poverty alleviation. Eliminating poverty, improving people's livelihood and gradually realizing common prosperity are the essential requirements of socialism and the important mission of the Communist Party of China. In November 2015, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the Central Poverty Alleviation and Development Work Conference that: "The ecological environment foundation of some places is fragile and relatively poor. We need to explore a new way of ecological poverty alleviation through reform and innovation, so that the land, labor, assets, natural scenery and other elements in poor areas can come alive, resources can become assets, capital can become equity, farmers can become shareholders, green water and green mountains can become gold and silver mountains, and drive the income of poor people to increase." General Secretary Xi Jinping's important statement is to find a new path for building a well-off society in an all-round way, which is a combination of Jinshan and Yinshan concepts and poverty alleviation. It not only injects a new concept of ecological poverty alleviation into the fight against poverty, but also endows the construction of ecological civilization with a new era, new mission and new responsibility.
Fourth, green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains, which are more modern, more vivid and more simple words for the construction of ecological civilization. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the idea of "a community with a shared future for mankind" has become a global concept that General Secretary Xi Jinping actively promotes governance with a global vision and human mind. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly talked about ecological civilization and building a community with a shared future for mankind. In September 2016, at the opening ceremony of the G20 Business Summit, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "I have said many times that green waters and green mountains are golden mountains, protecting the environment is to protect productivity, and improving the environment is to develop productivity. This simple truth is being recognized by more and more people." In January 2017, In his speech in Geneva, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "green waters and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains. We should follow the concept of the unity of nature and man, and follow the law of nature, and seek the path of sustainable development." The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed that we should become an important participant, contributor, and leader in the construction of ecological civilization. Green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains. It is a far-reaching image discourse, which has a wide influence and resonance in the world and the international community, and has made a unique contribution to the ecological civilization and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Systematically grasp the practice paradigm and triple realm of the "Two Mountains Theory". First, we need both green water and green mountains, as well as golden mountains and silver mountains, with the focus on development. The natural environment creates man, and man also creates environment. Survival and development are the basic premise of the historical and spiral rise of human society. It can be said that the historical process of human society should actively explore the dynamic balance between green water, green mountains and golden mountains. The remarkable achievements of economic and social development in contemporary China, especially in the past 40 years of reform and opening up, all indicate that development is still the basic task and foothold of the primary stage of socialism. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that adhering to economic construction as the center cannot and should not be changed, which is the fundamental requirement for solving all problems in contemporary China. That is to say, the outstanding resources, environment and ecological problems in the process of building a socialist ecological civilization in the new era must also rely on development, especially through innovative development and green development, in order to build an ecological civilization more actively.
The second is to prefer green water and green mountains to golden mountains and silver mountains, and focus on protection. Historically, some developed industrial countries in Europe and the United States have mostly experienced the development path of "pollution before treatment", and the damage and negative impact on the human environment and ecosystem still cannot be comprehensively assessed. As the socialist construction enters a new era, we must be soberly aware that green water and green mountains will not be exchanged for gold. Green water and green mountains can bring gold and silver, but gold and silver can not buy green water and green mountains. We must never sacrifice the environment for temporary economic growth. We should treat the ecological environment as we treat life, coordinate the management of the system of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes and grass, and firmly follow the path of civilized development featuring production development, rich life and good ecology.
Third, green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains, with the focus on overall planning. What kind of era will we enter after industrial civilization? General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that ecological civilization is the product of the development of industrial civilization to a certain stage, and is a new requirement to realize the harmonious development of man and nature. This is an era when the relationship between man and nature is highly competitive and organically unified. It is an era of golden mountains and silver mountains. It is also an era of building a harmonious symbiotic modernization between man and nature. At the National Ecological Environment Protection Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that we should accelerate the construction of an ecological civilization system and form an ecological economic system with industrial ecology and ecological industrialization as the main body. This will certainly promote the fundamental transformation of the traditional development mode, production mode and lifestyle, promote the formation of a Chinese paradigm for the development of ecological civilization, and then transform and upgrade the development model of industrial civilization.
Reviewing the development process of the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, the Communist Party of China has always been the leading force in environmental protection and ecological civilization construction. The Party's advocacy for building ecological civilization has been raised to the national will with the consent of the people, and has achieved universal binding force on the whole society, constantly pushing China's ecological civilization construction to a new historical level. In his speech at the symposium commemorating the 120th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Mao Zedong, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that there is no precedent for building socialism under the social and historical conditions of China. It is like climbing a mountain that has not been visited by people. All climbers must cut through the thorns and open the road. No matter what twists and turns have occurred, no matter what hardships and difficulties have occurred, China's history of development is a history written by the people; The great practice of revolution, construction and reform led by our Party is a historical process of continuous struggle and a complete cause to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. So is the construction of ecological civilization. The current situation facing China's ecological civilization construction is still very serious, and there is still a long way to go in the future. But as long as we follow Xi Jinping's ecological civilization thought as the fundamental principle, never forget our original intention, and strive forever, we will be able to constantly create and realize a new situation of socialist modernization in which man and nature are harmonious.
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