Xi stresses 'green development' along Yangtze River

ChinesePresidentXiJinpingstressedecologyand"greendevelopment"inboostingthegrowthoftheYangtzeRiverEconomicBelt.

HemadetheremarksinChongqingatameetingwithofficialsfromShanghai,Jiangsu,Zhejiang,Anhui,Jiangxi,Hubei,Hunan,Chongqing,Sichuan,Guizhou,YunnanandsomedepartmentsundertheStateCouncilonTuesday.

ItisakeystrategyforthecountrytoboostgrowthintheYangtzeRiverEconomicBelt,whilemuchhasbeendoneinrivercourserenovation,useofwaterresources,andcontrolandtreatmentofwaterpollution,hesaid.

Forthousandsofyears,theYangtzeRiverhasbeenimportantfortheChinesesocietyandtheeconomy.

Today,itisstillcrucial,linkingtheSilkRoadEconomicBeltandthe21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoad,Xisaid.

Thestatusandroleoftheriverandtheeconomicbeltmeanthedevelopmentalongtherivermustprioritizeecologyand"greendevelopment"torespectnatural,economicandsocialrules,Xisaid.

TheYangtzeRiverboastsauniqueecologicalsystem.Torestoreitsecologicalenvironmentwillbeanoverwhelmingtaskandnolarge-scaledevelopmentwillbeallowedalongtheriveratpresentandforaratherlongperiodtocome,hesaid.

Coordinateddevelopmentmustbeachievedinvarioussectorslikewater,road,port,wetlandandenvironment,aswellasinvariousregionsalongtheriver,henoted.

VicePremierZhangGaoliattendedthemeeting.