China, EU hold environment, climate dialog

China and the European Union (EU) held their sixth high-level environment and climate dialog in Beijing on Monday.

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Executive Vice President of the European Commission Teresa Ribera attended the dialog.

Speaking at the event, Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said no matter how the international situation changes, China will unswervingly promote green and low-carbon development and take forceful steps to participate in global environmental and climate governance.

China stands ready to work with the EU to maintain high-level dialog and exchanges and build more consensus, so as to deepen the green partnership between the two sides, Ding said.

He said both sides need to continue expanding and deepening cooperation in key areas such as energy and the circular economy in the spirit of mutual benefit.

Ding also called for joint efforts from China and the EU to support green and low-carbon development in other developing countries.

China and the EU should, he said, continue to coordinate with each other and play a leadership role in pushing for the establishment of a fair and equitable global environmental and climate governance system for win-win results.

Ribera said the EU is willing to take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with China as an opportunity to build on the achievements of past collaboration and explore new opportunities for cooperation.

The EU is also willing to work with China to uphold multilateralism and promote effective implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, so as to send a positive signal to the rest of the world about jointly addressing environmental and climate challenges.

On the occasion, relevant departments of both sides engaged in exchanges on issues such as jointly coping with climate change and protecting the ecological environment. They summarized the outcomes of cooperation since the fifth high-level dialog in June 2024 and discussed the next steps for deepening collaboration.

China, EU hold environment, climate dialog

China, EU hold environment, climate dialog

China has continued to push forward the rural construction initiative this year, bringing steady improvements to rural production and day to day living conditions.

So far, the total mileage of rural roads across the country has reached 4.7 million kilometers.

In Songhui Village, Zanhuang County of north China's Hebei Province, local authorities have invested over 40 million yuan (about 5.96 million U.S. dollars) this year to upgrade 287,000 square meters of roads and install streetlights. A new road is currently under construction in the village.

"Once completed, the road will connect three nearby townships and 16 administrative villages, fundamentally improving travel for local farmers, the transport of agricultural produce, and the development of tourism," said Hao Longhai, a local construction official.

Villages in China have also focused on the needs of local specialty industries, targeting shortcomings in production-related infrastructure.

In Taihu County of east China's Anhui Province, where cattle farming is a major driver of villagers' incomes, local authorities have coordinated roughly 30 million yuan in rural development funds this year to advance a provincial-level breed conservation center and an organic fertilizer processing plant.

"Conditions have been improved significantly. What matters most is that my cattle pen can now connect to the province-wide remote monitoring system for livestock and poultry genetic resources, enabling work such as breed conservation, breeding, scientific research and disease prevention to be managed through an online platform," said Zhu Yong, head of a local breed conservation center.

Infrastructure for day to day living is also a key priority in rural development efforts this year.

As of the end of August, over 130 billion yuan in project funding had been secured for rural construction, and steady improvements have been made to village roads, water supply and drainage systems, sanitary toilet upgrades, household waste and sewage treatment and elderly care facilities.

Living, production conditions in China's rural areas continuously improved