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China accomplishes 175 major marine eco-environmental conservation, restoration projects: white paper

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      China

      China

      China accomplishes 175 major marine eco-environmental conservation, restoration projects: white paper

      2024-07-11 17:52 Last Updated At:23:37

      China successfully accomplished 175 major marine eco-environmental conservation and restoration projects from 2016 to 2023, utilizing a combination of natural and artificial restoration methods, according to a white paper released by the State Council Information Office on Thursday.

      During a press conference on the white paper titled "Marine Eco-Environmental Protection in China," Sun Shuxian, Vice Minister of Natural Resources and Director of the State Oceanic Administration, highlighted various projects, including the Blue Bay environmental improvement initiative, the ecological restoration campaign in the comprehensive management of the Bohai Sea region, the coastal zone protection and restoration project, as well as a special action for mangrove conservation and restoration.

      To address the issue of "hard seawalls" damaging the ecological functions of coastlines, China has implemented eco-friendly seawall retrofitting measures to fully utilize the disaster mitigation capabilities of ecosystems and enhance the resilience of coastal areas, said Sun.

      To tackle the problem of coastal wetland degradation caused by artificial structures and invasive alien species, China has taken steps to retreat from reclaimed land, remove artificial constructions, and after clearing out the invasive species, promptly replant mangrove forests, salt marsh vegetation, and seagrass in the affected areas to restore the ecological functions of the coastal wetlands, said Sun.

      "The ecological restoration measures also include the rehabilitation of mangrove forests, coral reefs, and seagrass beds, as well as the protection and rescue of rare and endangered species. Additionally, structural measures such as opening up seawalls and dredging bays are implemented in a targeted and tailored manner based on local conditions and needs," said Sun.

      China's marine ecological protection and restoration projects have delivered significant ecological, social, and economic benefits, according to the white paper.

      Statistics show that during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), a total of 1,680 kilometers of coastline and over 50,000 hectares of coastal wetlands were restored and improved, which has enhanced the structure and function of typical marine ecosystems, effectively restored the habitats of endangered animals such as the Chinese white dolphin and the Chinese horseshoe crab, and reduced the impact on the bird migration route between East Asia and Australasia, said the white paper.

      China accomplishes 175 major marine eco-environmental conservation, restoration projects: white paper

      China accomplishes 175 major marine eco-environmental conservation, restoration projects: white paper

      Next Article

      Europe fears being left out amid divergence with US on Ukraine crisis: scholar

      2025-02-21 01:22 Last Updated At:02:17

      A Chinese scholar and retired senior colonel has noted the divergence between the United States and Europe on solving the nearly three-year-long Russia-Ukraine crisis, saying many countries fear being marginalized while U.S. President Donald Trump seems indifferent to Europe's concerns.

      Zhou Bo, a former colonel and now a research fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy of Tsinghua University, noted that two parallel diplomatic tracks are emerging with regards to the Russia-Ukraine conflict as he gave his assessment on the situation in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN).

      Russian and U.S. delegations held talks in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday, marking the first face-to-face interactions between senior officials from the two countries since the conflict erupted in February 2022, amid reports that Trump could soon be set to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

      Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron convened a second meeting on Ukraine and European security on Wednesday, two days after hosting a "mini-summit" which brought together leaders from NATO and the European Commission, along with representatives from France, Germany, Britain, Poland, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

      Zhou said an interesting scenario is now unfolding, but believes that the U.S. could be in a stronger position as it has already opened dialogue with Russia, while the Europeans may be pursuing their own agenda.

      "The United States definitely has more cards to play, as they are talking to Russia. So, we should expect that this one might be more fruitful, but for the other one, actually, Europeans would insist that they have to be involved in a war that is occurring in the heart of Europe. So, therefore, they have their own agenda. And the worst of fear of Europe, including Ukraine, is to be kept out of this process," he said.

      Zhou said that while Trump seems to show little interest in European sentiments regarding his stance on the conflict, the controversial remarks made by U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) did not sit well among many on the continent. However, he believes this does open a door for ties between China and Europe to be rebuilt.

      "Trump doesn't give a damn about what the Europeans think about him or think about his administration, or think about the war in Ukraine. But the Europeans have a lingering hope for the United States, because the United States is [like] a big brother, right, as the head of the allies. So you can feel how the Europeans feel sad or even angry about the remarks of JD Vance. But that actually would leave an opportunity for China and Europe to improve [their] relationship," said Zhou.

      Looking ahead to what could be required to make any progress in the talks to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Zhou said that he doesn't expect any fruitful results will come until Russia takes back the Kursk region, after Ukrainian forces launched a surprise cross-border attack in the region last August.

      "I believe Putin, at least, has one condition that is, unless and until he takes back Kursk which is an indisputable Russian territory, he won't be really, really serious about these kind of negotiations. Otherwise, how can he face the questions coming from the Russian people: why in this war you have even lost some Russian territory? So, I believe serious negotiation might start from now, but maybe any results simply won't happen before Russia takes back the Kursk region. That's my assumption," he said.

      Europe fears being left out amid divergence with US on Ukraine crisis: scholar

      Europe fears being left out amid divergence with US on Ukraine crisis: scholar

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