Zhang Yongsheng: Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization Transcends Industrial Civilization & Is Going Global
Also in this edition: Canada's Mark Carney visits Beijing, Cai Qi addresses Organisation Department Heads, & Wang Yi's call with Iranian FM
Here are the key reports and articles from the People’s Daily’s edition on Friday, January 16, 2026.
Page 1: At the top of the page is a Jin Sheping article on promoting high-quality development. The first section of the article focuses on innovation driven growth and green and low-carbon growth.
“At the current stage, the factor conditions and allocation efficiency of our country’s economic development have changed, and the constraints faced have increased. Persisting in the new development concept and promoting quality transformation, efficiency transformation, and power transformation is the inevitable choice for coordinating the important relationship between improving quality and expanding quantity.
For example, strengthening innovation as the primary driving force. Inside workshops, humanoid robots transform into quality inspectors, implementing millimeter-level non-destructive testing on car logos and lights; in daily life, intelligent bionic hands allow young men with amputated arms to live ‘without hindrance’; in mines, unmanned mining trucks can operate continuously in extremely cold weather at minus 40 degrees Celsius...breaking through a single key core technology often enables the revitalization of multiple multiple sub-sectors, ultimately leading to positive impacts on high-quality economic development. Nowadays, AI technology is moving from laboratories toward production and life, giving birth to new fields and new tracks such as humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces, unmanned driving, and intelligent wearable devices, forming a virtuous cycle of driving applications through innovation and promoting innovation through applications. Look at a set of data: In recent years, the scale of the embodied intelligence industry, represented by humanoid robots, has been developing with a leap-forward growth rate of over 50%. In November 2025, the added value of intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing grew by 49.3%, and industrial robot production grew by 20.6%. This fully proves that innovation is the primary driving force leading development; to promote high-quality, sustainable development, one must blaze a new path in promoting the deep integration of scientific-technological innovation and industrial innovation.
The world’s largest! China’s independently developed 26-megawatt offshore wind turbine has been connected to the grid for power generation, with its single-unit capacity and rotor diameter ranking among the top in the world’s grid-connected wind turbines. The world’s fastest! China has the largest area of artificial forests in the world, contributing approximately 25% of the world’s newly-added green area, becoming the country with the most and fastest increase in greening. Green development is the background color of high-quality development. Our country has already built the world’s largest renewable energy system; now, for every 3 kWh of electricity used, 1 kWh is green electricity; for every 5 electric vehicles, there are 2 charging piles; the construction of a Beautiful China has made major progress. However, the situation of tightening resource and environment constraints in our country will still continue; we must persist in shifting economic and social development onto a green and low-carbon track, providing solid resource and environment guarantees for higher-quality, more sustainable development.
In 2026, deeply practicing the new development concept, a series of key measures will be powerfully advanced: regarding coordinated development, ‘strengthen the coordinated linkage of key city clusters, and deepen cross-administrative region cooperation’; aiming at opening up to the outside world, ‘orderly expand the autonomous opening of the service sector, and optimize the layout and scope of Free Trade Pilot Zones’; focusing on livelihood protection, ‘stabilize the employment of key groups such as college graduates and migrant workers’...Unswervingly lead high-quality development with the new development concept, proactively recognize changes, adapt to changes, and seek changes, cultivating new opportunities amidst crisis and opening new bureaus amidst changing situations, winning the strategic initiative in fierce international competition.”
现阶段，我国经济发展的要素条件、配置效率等发生改变，面临的约束增多。坚持新发展理念，推动质量变革、效率变革、动力变革，是统筹好提升质量和做大总量这对重要关系的必然选择. 比如，增强创新第一动力。车间内，人形机器人化身质检员，对车标及车灯实施毫米级无损伤检测；生活中，智能仿生手让断臂小伙“无碍”生活；矿山里，无人矿卡可在零下40摄氏度的极寒天气连续作业……突破一项关键技术，往往能够盘活多个细分行业，最终对经济高质量发展形成积极带动。如今，人工智能技术正从实验室走向生产生活，催生出人形机器人、脑机接口、无人驾驶、智能穿戴设备等新领域新赛道，形成以创新带应用、以应用促创新的良性循环。来看一组数据：近几年，以人形机器人为代表的具身智能产业规模，正以超50%的增速跨越式发展。2025年11月，智能无人飞行器制造增加值增长49.3%，工业机器人产量增长20.6%。这充分证明，创新是引领发展的第一动力，推动高质量、可持续的发展，就要在推动科技创新和产业创新深度融合上闯出新路。又如，厚植绿色发展底色。全球最大！我国自主研制的26兆瓦级海上风电机组并网发电，单机容量与叶轮直径在全球已并网风机中名列前茅。全球最快！我国人工林保存面积全球第一，为全球贡献约25%的新增绿化面积，成为增绿最多最快的国家。绿色发展是高质量发展的底色。我国已建成全球最大的可再生能源体系，现在每用3度电就有1度是绿电，每5辆电动汽车就有2个充电桩，美丽中国建设取得重大进展。然而，我国资源环境约束趋紧状况仍将持续，必须坚持把经济社会发展转到绿色低碳轨道上来，为更高质量、更可持续发展提供坚实的资源环境保障。2026年，深入践行新发展理念，一系列重点举措将有力推进：针对协调发展，“加强重点城市群协调联动，深化跨行政区合作”；瞄准对外开放，“有序扩大服务领域自主开放，优化自由贸易试验区布局范围”；聚焦民生保障，“稳定高校毕业生、农民工等重点群体就业”……坚定不移以新发展理念引领高质量发展，主动识变应变求变，在危机中育新机、于变局中开新局，在激烈国际竞争中赢得战略主动。
The second section of the article talks about enhancing domestic demand. In this regard, the article tells us that “economic development is a long-distance race; one must not only look at short-term explosive power but even more must look at long-term endurance.” 经济发展是一场长跑，不只看短期爆发力，更要看长期持续力.
It then talks about China’s untapped consumption potential.
“According to World Bank data, Chinese household consumption accounts for only about 40% of GDP, significantly lower than the global average of 56% and also lower than the nearly 60% level in high-income countries. Potential does not automatically turn into realised value; the key is to accurately identify priorities and release it effectively. Among the key tasks for 2026 laid out at the CEWC, expanding domestic demand is placed first, and it specifically mentions ‘releasing the potential of service consumption.’ This reflects a precise grasp of the structural changes in China’s domestic demand. China is transitioning from a model dominated by goods consumption to one in which goods consumption and service consumption are balanced. In some areas, the growth rate of goods consumption has slowed, but demand for service consumption remains robust. From stand-up comedy shows where tickets are extremely difficult to obtain, to tourism’s pursuit of ‘poetry and distant horizons’, to the soaring popularity of the ‘Su Super League’ and ‘Xiang Super League’, some institutions estimate that in 2024 the market size of China’s ‘emotion economy’ reached 2.3 trillion yuan, and it is expected that by 2029 China’s emotion economy market will surpass 4.5 trillion yuan.
With high consumption frequency, strong multiplier effects, sustainable growth, and broad space for innovation, expanding service consumption holds great promise for the future. For example, in future industries, the International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that China’s intelligent computing power scale will maintain high-speed growth, and in 2026 alone, it will reach double that of 2024. Furthermore, regarding the green transition, it is estimated that the investment required to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality will account for more than 2% of GDP, which will also generate enormous investment demand. The world is ‘voting with its feet’ on the quality and prospects of the Chinese economy. Recently, the International Monetary Fund, Goldman Sachs, and other international institutions have raised their expectations for China’s economic growth rate. A recent report by the accounting firm KPMG shows that most multinational corporations are optimistic about their revenue growth prospects in China over the next 3 to 5 years. As Stéphane de La Faverie, CEO of Estée Lauder, said: ‘The so-called “next China” is actually still China.’ In 2026, the supporting conditions and basic trends of our country’s economy, such as a stable foundation, many advantages, strong resilience, and great potential, have not changed; stimulating potential in all aspects and promoting the transformation of the market from ‘super large’ to ‘super strong’ will make the endogenous drive and vitality of economic development even more surging.” 世界银行数据显示，中国居民消费占国内生产总值比重仅约40%，显著低于56%的全球平均水平，也低于高收入国家近60%的水平。潜力不会自动变现，关键要找准重点，有效释放。在中央经济工作会议部署的2026年重点任务中，扩大内需排在首位，并提到“释放服务消费潜力”。这正是对我国内需结构性变化的精准把握。我国正在从以商品消费为主转向商品消费和服务消费并重，一些领域商品消费增速放缓，但服务消费需求旺盛。从脱口秀一票难求，到旅游追寻“诗和远方”，再到“苏超”“湘超”人气火爆，有机构测算，2024年中国情绪经济市场规模达2.3万亿元，预计2029年中国情绪经济市场突破4.5万亿元。消费频次高、乘数效应强、增长可持续、创新空间广，扩大服务消费未来可期。中国经济潜力是多方面的。比如未来产业，国际数据公司预计，中国智能算力规模将保持高速增长，仅2026年就将达到2024年的两倍。再说绿色转型，据测算，实现碳达峰碳中和所需投资占国内生产总值比重超过2%，也将催生巨量投资需求。中国经济质量怎样、前景如何，全世界都在“用脚投票”。近日，国际货币基金组织、高盛等国际机构纷纷上调中国经济增速预期。会计师事务所毕马威的最新报告显示，大多数跨国企业对在中国未来3至5年的收入增长前景态度乐观。正如美国雅诗兰黛公司首席执行官司泰峰所说：“所谓‘下一个中国’，其实还是中国。”2026年，我国经济基础稳、优势多、韧性强、潜能大等长期向好的支撑条件和基本趋势没有改变，激发各方面潜能，推动市场由“超大”向“超强”转变，经济发展内生动力和活力将更加澎湃。
The final section of the article talks about having a correct view of performance as being essential to pursue high-quality development. It warns:
“In recent years, some localities, regardless of actual conditions, have blindly chased after so-called ‘hot trends’. Seeing others develop chips, they develop chips as well. Seeing others develop the ‘new three items’, they are unwilling to fall behind. There are also places engaging in ‘digital water-injection’/padding data, fake project starts, and ‘invoice-based economy’ practices…Beneath these outward manifestations of low-quality and unsustainable development, one can always find the root cause in a misplaced view of political achievement.” 近年来，一些地方不顾实际，盲目追风口，看别人搞芯片，自己也搞。看别人搞“新三样”，自己也不甘落后；还有地方搞“数字注水”、虚假开工、“开票经济”……这些发展质量不高、不可持续的表象下，都能找见政绩观错位的病根.
So what’s the best thing to do or “how to practice a correct view of political achievements?” The answer is that “adapting to local conditions is a scientific method.” One of the examples given in this context is Harbin’s use of ice and snow for cultural events.
Moving on, there are reports of Zhao Leji and Li Qiang meeting with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The report on the Li-Carney meeting says:
Li said that “through the joint effort of the two sides, the China-Canada relationship has achieved a turnaround, which has been widely welcomed by people from all sectors of both countries. Maintaining healthy and stable development of China-Canada relations is in the common interests of both countries. President Xi Jinping will hold a meeting with the Prime Minister, further guiding the stable and positive development of bilateral relations. Standing at a new starting point, China is willing to work with Canada to adhere to the positioning of a strategic partnership, strengthen dialogue and communication, enhance political mutual trust, respect each other’s core interests, seek common ground while reserving differences and aggregate commonalities to dissolve differences, continuously expand practical cooperation, and add more momentum to the development of the two countries. 李强表示，在双方共同努力下，中加关系实现转圜，受到两国各界普遍欢迎。中加关系保持健康稳定发展，符合两国的共同利益。习近平主席将同总理先生举行会晤，为推动两国关系稳定向好进一步指明方向。站在新的起点上，中方愿同加方坚持战略伙伴定位，加强对话沟通，增进政治互信，尊重彼此核心利益，求同存异、聚同化异，不断拓展务实合作，为两国发展增添更多动力.
Li Qiang pointed out that the Chinese and Canadian economies are highly complementary, and cooperation between the two countries has strong inherent momentum and broad prospects. China is willing to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Canada, continue to restore and advance exchanges at all levels and in all fields, make good use of intergovernmental dialogue mechanisms in trade, science and technology, and agriculture, promote stable growth of bilateral trade, improve trade facilitation, and deepen cooperation in clean energy, digital technology, modern agriculture, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and finance, cultivating more new economic growth points. China welcomes more Canadian companies to invest in China and hopes that Canada will provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies investing in Canada. Both sides should continue to actively support exchanges and cooperation in education, culture, tourism, sports, youth, and local areas, facilitate personnel exchanges, and carry forward and deepen the friendly feelings between the two peoples. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Canada within the frameworks of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G20, and APEC, jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, promote the improvement of global governance, and push the international order towards a more just and reasonable direction. 李强指出，中加经济互补性强，两国合作具有很强内生动力和广阔空间。中方愿同加方加强发展战略对接，继续恢复和推进各领域各层级交往，用好两国政府间经贸、科技、农业等对话机制，促进双边贸易稳定增长，提升贸易便利化水平，深化清洁能源、数字技术、现代农业、航空航天、先进制造、金融等领域合作，培育更多新的经济增长点。中方欢迎更多加拿大企业来华投资，希望加方为赴加投资的中国企业提供公平、非歧视的营商环境。双方要继续积极支持教育、文化、旅游、体育、青年、地方等领域交流合作，便利人员往来，传承深化两国民间的友好感情。中方愿同加方加强在联合国、世贸组织、二十国集团、亚太经合组织等框架下的合作，共同维护多边主义和自由贸易，推进完善全球治理，推动国际秩序朝着更加公正合理的方向发展.
Xinhua’s report adds:
“For his part, Carney said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the Canadian government has firmly adhered to the one-China policy. Canada is willing to strengthen dialogue with China in various fields on the basis of mutual respect, leverage complementary advantages, and promote cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, energy, green economy, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges, he noted. Chinese companies are welcome to invest and conduct business in Canada, and Canadian enterprises are confident in further deepening cooperation with China, said the prime minister. He noted that in light of the profound changes in current international situation, Canada is willing to enhance communication and collaboration with China to jointly support the United Nations in playing a central role in international affairs. Following the talks, Li and Carney witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents covering trade, customs, energy, construction, culture, and public security.”
The report (English report) on Zhao’s meeting with Carney says:
Zhao said that: “Standing at a new starting point, China is willing to work with Canada to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, and promote the healthy, stable and sustainable development of bilateral ties, Zhao said. The NPC of China is willing to enhance friendly exchanges with the parliament of Canada, carry out experience exchanges on legislation, supervision and other work, and provide legal safeguards for practical cooperation in various fields, Zhao noted.”
While on China-Canada ties, there’s a report on Page 3 covering Wang Yi’s meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand. The Chinese readout says:
“Noting Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to China, the first by a Canadian Prime Minister in eight years, Wang Yi said that the trip signals a turning point in and holds symbolic significance for bilateral relations. The leaders of the two countries will hold meetings and talks, which are expected to open up new prospects for bilateral relations. The world is undergoing unprecedented, profound and complex changes, and the impact of China-Canada relations extends beyond the bilateral scope. China is ready to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, eliminate interference, and deepen cooperation with Canada, ensuring that bilateral relations move forward on a steady and sound track in solid strides under the new circumstances. Wang Yi said that China and Canada have different social systems, which stem from different historical and cultural backgrounds and are based on the choices of their peoples. Both sides should view each other with a rational and amicable attitude and an inclusive mindset, handle issues in a manner of mutual respect, focus on the cooperation agenda, and send positive messages, so as to provide optimistic expectations for and inject more confidence into the development of bilateral relations, and jointly build a new type of strategic partnership between China and Canada.
As per the readout, Anand said that “Prime Minister Mark Carney looks forward to having in-depth communication and exchanges with Chinese leaders during this visit, to clarify the direction of bilateral relations, restart dialogues in various fields, achieve more mutually beneficial outcomes, strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral affairs, and advance the further development of the strategic partnership between the two countries.”
Next, there’s a report on a meeting of the heads of organization departments at different levels in Beijing. Cai Qi addressed this gathering.
He emphasised the need to adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding principle, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th Party Congress and its subsequent plenary sessions, conscientiously implement the deployments of the Fourth Plenary Session, and fully implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on Party building and on the Party’s self-revolution. It is crucial to deeply understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, enhance the four consciousnesses, strengthen the four self-confidences, and achieve the two safeguards. It is essential to closely focus on upholding Party leadership, strengthening Party building, and advancing the Party’s cause, thoroughly implement the Party’s organizational line in the new era, and diligently carry out various tasks such as theoretical arming, selecting and appointing capable personnel, strengthening foundations and consolidating the base, and cultivating and gathering talent, promote high-quality development of Party organizational building, and provide a strong organizational guarantee for achieving a good start to the 15th FYP, and for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernisation. 他强调，要坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，深入贯彻党的二十大和二十届历次全会精神，认真落实四中全会部署，全面贯彻习近平总书记关于党的建设的重要思想、关于党的自我革命的重要思想，深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，紧紧围绕坚持党的领导、加强党的建设、推进党的事业，深入贯彻新时代党的组织路线，扎实做好理论武装、选贤任能、强基固本、育才聚才等各项工作，推动党的组织建设高质量发展，为实现“十五五”良好开局，以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业提供坚强组织保证.
Cai Qi emphasised that it is essential to persist in and strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, continuously use the Party’s innovative theories to unify thoughts, will and actions, improve the implementation mechanism for the Party Central Committee’s major decisions and deployments, promote the comprehensive coverage and consistent implementation of the Party’s leadership, and ensure that the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments are implemented in place without discount or deviation. It is essential to establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, strengthen education on the correct view of political achievements, improve and optimize political achievement assessments, perfect working mechanisms for effectively preventing and rectifying deviations in the view of political achievements, and promote high-quality development through truly grasping work and working in a down-to-earth manner. It is essential to persist in the correct orientation for employing people, strictly control the inspection of candidates, persist in putting the cause first and ensuring a fit between the person and the post, resolutely rectify the atmosphere of personnel employment, and take the transition of leadership as an opportunity to select the best and strengthen leadership teams at all levels. It is essential to persist in combining strict management with deep care, giving equal weight to incentives and constraints, improve the systems and mechanisms for strict management and supervision, strengthen care, concern, incentives, and guidance, and stimulate the endogenous drive and overall vitality of the cadre team. It is essential to enhance the political functions and organizational functions of grassroots Party organizations, solidly do a good job in the transition work of the ‘two committees’ in villages, strengthen Party-building leadership over grassroots governance and grassroots state power building, place emphasis on Party building work in emerging fields, and enhance the overall effectiveness of Party-building-led grassroots governance. It is essential to accelerate the cultivation and gathering of excellent talents from all sectors, integrally promote the development of education, technology, and talents, deepen the reform of the talent development system and mechanism, strengthen the political leadership and political absorption of talents, and strengthen the talent support for modernization construction. Organization departments at all levels and the broad masses of organization and personnel cadres must forge absolute political loyalty, adhere to fairness and integrity, enhance capabilities and skills, carry forward fine work styles, and better shoulder the important responsibilities entrusted by the Party and the people.” 蔡奇强调，要坚持和加强党中央集中统一领导，持续用党的创新理论统一思想、统一意志、统一行动，完善党中央重大决策部署落实机制，推动党的领导全面覆盖、一贯到底，确保党中央决策部署不折不扣落实到位。要树立和践行正确政绩观，加强正确政绩观教育，改进优化政绩考核，健全有效防范和纠治政绩观偏差工作机制，真抓实干推动高质量发展。要坚持正确用人导向，严格人选考察把关，坚持事业为上、人岗相适，坚决匡正用人风气，以换届为契机选优配强各级领导班子。要坚持严管厚爱结合、激励约束并重，完善从严管理监督制度机制，加强关心关爱和激励引导，激发干部队伍内生动力和整体活力。要增强基层党组织政治功能和组织功能，扎实做好村（社区）“两委”换届工作，加强党建引领基层治理和基层政权建设，突出抓好新兴领域党建工作，提升党建引领基层治理整体效能。要加快培养集聚各方面优秀人才，一体推进教育科技人才发展，深化人才发展体制机制改革，加强对人才的政治引领和政治吸纳，强化现代化建设人才支撑。各级组织部门和广大组工干部要铸牢政治忠诚，恪守公道正派，提升能力本领，弘扬优良作风，更好担负起党和人民赋予的重任.
Page 3: There’s a report on Wang Yi’s call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. It says:
“Araghchi briefed on the latest developments in the situation in Iran, emphasizing that recent riots in Iran were caused by the incitement of external forces and that stability has currently been restored. The Iranian side has made preparations to respond to external interference, while at the same time, the door to dialogue remains open; Iran expects the Chinese side to play a greater role for regional peace and stability. 阿拉格齐通报了伊朗局势最新进展，强调伊近期骚乱系外部势力煽动所致，目前已恢复平稳。伊方已作好应对外部干涉准备，同时对话大门仍然敞开，期待中方为地区和平稳定发挥更大作用.
Wang Yi said that the Chinese side consistently advocates for abiding by the purposes of the United Nations Charter and international law, opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations, opposes imposing one’s own will on other countries, and opposes the world regressing back to the ‘law of the jungle’. China believes that the Iranian government and people will unite to overcome difficulties, maintain national stability, and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. He expressed hope that all parties would cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialogue, and that China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard.” 王毅表示，中方一贯主张遵守联合国宪章宗旨和国际法，反对在国际关系中使用或威胁使用武力，反对将本国意志强加于别国，反对世界倒退回“丛林法则”。中方相信伊政府和人民将团结一致，克服困难，保持国家稳定，维护正当权益。希望各方珍惜和平，保持克制，通过对话解决分歧，中方愿为此发挥建设性作用.
Page 9: There’s an article by Zhang Yongsheng from the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. This is interesting because Zhang argues that:
“Building global ecological civilization is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization proposes the construction of a global ecological civilization, clarifying that humanity has experienced primitive civilization, agricultural civilization, and industrial civilization; ecological civilization is the product of industrial civilization developing to a certain stage and is a new requirement for achieving the harmonious development of man and nature, profoundly revealing the key significance of ecological civilization for transcending industrial civilization and developing a new form of human civilization.” 建设全球生态文明是习近平生态文明思想的重要内容。习近平生态文明思想提出建设全球生态文明，明确人类经历了原始文明、农业文明、工业文明，生态文明是工业文明发展到一定阶段的产物，是实现人与自然和谐发展的新要求，深刻揭示了生态文明对于超越工业文明、发展人类文明新形态所具有的关键意义.
The first section argues that:
Building a global ecological civilisation stems from General Secretary Xi Jinping’s deep practical exploration and scientific theoretical reflection on the issue of sustainable human development. The Industrial Revolution brought a leap in productivity and a transformation in production relations, achieving large-scale production and consumption of material wealth. After humanity entered the era of industrial civilization, developed countries took the lead in realizing their own modernization through the development of industrial civilization. However, this modernization model built upon traditional industrial civilization can only satisfy the high consumption demands of a few developed countries and cannot achieve sustainable development for all of humanity. 建设全球生态文明，源自习近平总书记对人类可持续发展问题的深入实践探索和科学理论思考。工业革命带来生产力飞跃和生产关系变革，实现物质财富大规模生产和消费。人类进入工业文明时代后，发达国家通过发展工业文明率先实现自身的现代化。但这种建立在传统工业文明之上的现代化模式只能满足少数发达国家的高消费需求，无法实现全人类的可持续发展.
Traditional industrial civilization exchanged economic growth at the cost of the ecological environment, endlessly extracting from or even destroying nature, leading to the emergence of various ecological and environmental problems. Faced with this situation, developed countries generally adopted the ‘pollute first, treat later’ model, formulating strict environmental protection policies in the later stages of development, while simultaneously transferring high-consumption, high-pollution, and high-carbon-emission industries to developing countries. For developed countries, although industrial transfer objectively improved their own environmental quality, economic production and social life still relied on the plunder of the environment and resources; in other words, the mode of development did not achieve a fundamental transformation. If the broad masses of developing countries pursue their own modernization using this development mode, which relies on high consumption and high pollution to achieve high consumption, a global resource and environmental crisis will be inevitable. Currently, various ecological and environmental problems, including climate change, environmental pollution, and the decline of biodiversity, are occurring one after another, threatening human survival and development. This is precisely the consequence of the modernization model built upon traditional industrial civilization. This modernization model presents a significant dilemma: traditional industrial civilization achieved large-scale production and consumption of material wealth, allowing a few countries to take the lead in realizing modernization; but once promoted to the whole world, it brings global resource tension, environmental deterioration, and may even eventually interrupt the process of human modernization, causing the decline of civilization. 传统工业文明以牺牲生态环境为代价换取经济增长，无止境地向自然索取甚至破坏自然，各种生态环境问题随之出现。面对这一情况，发达国家普遍采用“先污染、后治理”的模式，在发展后期制定严格的环境保护政策，同时将高消耗、高污染、高碳排的产业转移到发展中国家。对发达国家而言，虽然产业转移客观上改善了本国的环境质量，但经济生产和社会生活仍然依赖对环境和资源的掠夺，发展方式并未实现根本转变。广大发展中国家若以这种依靠高消耗、高污染实现高消费的发展方式来追求自身的现代化，全球性资源环境危机将不可避免。当前，包括气候变化、环境污染、生物多样性水平下降等在内的各种生态环境问题此起彼伏，威胁人类生存发展。这正是建立在传统工业文明之上的现代化模式的后果。这种现代化模式存在显著困境：传统工业文明实现了物质财富的大规模生产和消费，让少数国家率先实现现代化；可一旦推广到全世界，又会带来全球性的资源紧张、环境恶化，甚至最终中断人类现代化进程，造成文明的衰落.
‘When the ecology prospers, civilization prospers; when the ecology declines, civilization declines.’ Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization stands at the height of the sustainable development of the Chinese nation and humanity, connecting theory and practice, history and reality, and international and domestic spheres, clarifying that ‘for us to build a modernized country, the old path of the United States and Europe will not work,’ ‘to achieve sustainable development, we must grasp the construction of ecological civilization well,’ and ‘the international community must jointly seek the path of global ecological civilization construction, and persist in taking the path of green, low-carbon, circular, and sustainable development.’ Since the founding of New China, and especially since the reform and opening up, China has created a development miracle unprecedented in human history, while gradually recognizing that traditional industrial civilization inherently creates a tense relationship between economic and social development and ecological environmental protection. Rapid industrialization has brought increasingly serious ecological and environmental problems such as air pollution, soil erosion, resource depletion, and desertification, requiring us to coordinate economic and social development and ecological environmental protection, achieving a dialectical unity between the two and harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. Building a global ecological civilization is precisely the crystallization of wisdom from China’s arduous exploration of a sustainable path to modernization. Since the 18th Party Congress, the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed ecological civilization construction in a prominent position in overall work, driving historical, transformative, and comprehensive changes in ecological civilization construction from theory to practice; the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature is accelerating, fully demonstrating the truth-power and practical strength of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. 生态兴则文明兴，生态衰则文明衰。习近平生态文明思想站在中华民族和人类永续发展的高度，贯通理论和实践、贯通历史和现实、贯通国际和国内，明确“我们建设现代化国家，走美欧老路是走不通的”“要实现永续发展，必须抓好生态文明建设”“国际社会要共谋全球生态文明建设之路，坚持走绿色、低碳、循环、可持续发展之路”。新中国成立以来特别是改革开放以来，中国创造了人类历史上前所未有的发展奇迹，同时逐渐认识到传统工业文明内在地制造了经济社会发展与生态环境保护的紧张关系。快速工业化带来大气污染、水土流失、资源枯竭、荒漠化等日益严峻的生态环境问题，要求我们必须统筹好经济社会发展和生态环境保护，实现二者辩证统一、人与自然和谐共生。建设全球生态文明正是中国艰辛探索可持续的现代化道路的智慧结晶。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央把生态文明建设摆在全局工作的突出位置，推动生态文明建设从理论到实践发生历史性、转折性、全局性变化，人与自然和谐共生的现代化加快推进，充分彰显了习近平生态文明思想的真理力量和实践伟力.
From the perspective of the grand history of human civilization development, Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization proposes the construction of a global ecological civilization, which is both a product of industrial civilization reaching a certain stage and a transcendence of industrial civilization. It is a more progressive form of human civilization compared to industrial civilization, possessing important theoretical and practical significance for human sustainable development. Building a global ecological civilization is not simply about emphasizing ecological environmental protection, but about breaking out of the outdated framework of traditional industrial civilization in addressing ecological and environmental problems; not following the old path of ‘polluting first and then cleaning up’, but rather, from the perspective that humanity and nature are a community of life, taking the carrying capacity of resources and the environment as the premise and foundation of development, promoting sustainable human development through green development, circular development, and low-carbon development, and promoting harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. Building a global ecological civilization is not for the purpose of allowing only a few people in a few countries to exclusively enjoy the abundant life brought by modernization, but rather to seek common prosperity and sustainable development for all of humanity. It contains profound reflections on fundamental questions about development, such as why to develop, what to develop, and how to develop. Compared with traditional industrial civilization, it represents a profound transformation of the logic and methods of human development. The contradictory and conflicting relationship between economic and social development and ecological environmental protection under the traditional modernization model is thus transformed into a dialectical and unified relationship of mutual promotion. Building a global ecological civilization provides a new modernization choice for all countries in the world, especially the broad masses of developing countries eager to accelerate the realization of modernization, and represents the direction of the development of human civilization. 从人类文明发展演进的大历史看，习近平生态文明思想提出建设全球生态文明，这既是工业文明发展到一定阶段的产物，也是对工业文明的超越，是与工业文明相比更为进步的人类文明形态，对人类可持续发展具有重要的理论意义和现实意义。建设全球生态文明不是简单地重视生态环境保护，而是跳出传统工业文明应对生态环境问题的陈旧框架，不走“先污染、后治理”的老路，而是从人与自然是生命共同体的高度，把资源环境的承载力作为发展的前提和基础，以绿色发展、循环发展、低碳发展促进人类永续发展，推动人与自然和谐共生。建设全球生态文明，不是为了只让少数国家的少数人独享现代化带来的丰裕生活，而是谋求全人类共同繁荣、永续发展。其中蕴含着对为什么发展、发展什么、如何发展等关于发展基本问题的深刻反思，相较传统工业文明是对人类发展逻辑、发展方式的深刻变革。传统现代化模式下经济社会发展与生态环境保护相互对立的矛盾冲突关系由此转变为相互促进的辩证统一关系。建设全球生态文明为世界各国特别是渴望加快实现现代化的广大发展中国家提供了一种新的现代化选择，代表着人类文明发展的方向.
In the second section, Zhang argues that Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization proposes the construction of a global ecological civilization, offering solutions at both the conceptual and technological levels to effectively address the global challenges and problems facing human development. It possesses broad international influence, appeal, and shaping power, and is increasingly becoming an international consensus. 习近平生态文明思想提出建设全球生态文明，在理念与技术两个层面为妥善应对人类发展面临的全球性挑战和问题提供了解决之道，具有广泛的国际影响力、感召力、塑造力，日益成为国际共识.
Zhang argues that Xi’s thought provides fundamentally significant solutions for re-building the relationship between man and nature.
“To a large extent, the reason why many global problems have remained unresolved for a long time lies in the inherent limitations of traditional modernization models. Traditional industrial civilization adheres to anthropocentrism, regards nature as an object to be conquered and transformed, treats the ecological environment as a site for extracting resources and discharging waste, takes capital appreciation and profit maximization as the driving force of economic growth, and is permeated by consumerism characterized by excessive consumption, which inevitably leads to the destruction of the ecological environment. By contrast, building a global ecological civilization advocates that humanity and nature form a community of life, upholds respect for nature, conformity with nature, and protection of nature, confines human activities within the limits that the ecological environment can bear, forms green and low-carbon modes of production and lifestyles, realizes the coexistence and co-prosperity of humanity and nature, and continuously meets the people’s needs for a better life. 为重构人与自然关系提供具有根本意义的解决思路。许多全球问题之所以长期得不到解决，很大程度上是由传统现代化模式的内在局限性导致的。传统工业文明秉持人类中心主义，把自然视为征服和改造的对象，将生态环境作为攫取资源和排放废弃物的场所，以资本的增值和利润最大化为经济增长的驱动力，盛行过度消费的消费主义，必然导致生态环境破坏。建设全球生态文明则倡导人与自然是生命共同体，坚持尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然，把人类活动限制在生态环境能够承受的限度内，形成绿色低碳的生产方式和生活方式，实现人与自然共生共存，不断满足人民对美好生活的需要.
The development of traditional industrial civilization comes at the cost of overdrawing and damaging the ecological environment. Moreover, finite resources cannot possibly meet everyone’s consumption demands, inevitably giving rise to contradictions and conflicts among countries, between present generations and future generations, and between economic development and environmental protection due to competition for resources. Building a global ecological civilization transforms these three sets of relationships from confrontation to win–win outcomes. In promoting green development, building global ecological civilization expands the points of convergence of interests among countries, opens up broader space for relations among countries to break free from the outdated logic of zero-sum games and winner-takes-all outcomes and to achieve inclusive and shared development, allows the needs of both present and future generations to be met, and enables economic development to find new directions, breakthrough points, and sources of momentum for transformation, upgrading, and quality and efficiency enhancement in the process of environmental protection. 传统工业文明的发展以透支损害生态环境为代价，而有限的资源不可能满足所有人的消费需求，必然因争夺资源而导致国与国、当代人与后代人、经济发展与环境保护之间的矛盾和冲突。建设全球生态文明则使上述三对关系由对立走向共赢。建设全球生态文明在推动绿色发展中扩大了各国利益交汇点，为国与国之间关系摆脱零和博弈、赢者通吃的陈旧逻辑，实现普惠包容发展开辟了更加广阔的空间，又让当代人和后代人的需求都能得到满足，并且使经济发展能够在保护环境的过程中找到转型升级和提质增效的新方向、突破口和动力源.
Zhang further states that Xi’s thought provides a blueprint to drive the transformation of development modes. He writes:
Building global ecological civilization plays a positive role in resolving many global issues, including global environmental governance, achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, advancing the modernization of the Global South, and safeguarding world peace and security. In terms of global environmental governance, building global ecological civilization requires all countries to follow the path of green development together, guides countries to explore and share the enormous opportunities nurtured by green development, and promotes a shift in the underlying logic of global environmental governance from sharing responsibilities to sharing opportunities, continuously strengthening the endogenous motivation of countries to cooperate in enhancing global environmental governance.
In terms of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations 2025 Sustainable Development Goals Report shows that among the 169 specific targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, only 35 percent are making good progress, nearly half are progressing slowly, and 18 percent have regressed. The current pace is insufficient to achieve all the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Globally, there are still 800 million people in a state of absolute poverty; billions lack safe drinking water and sanitation services; climate change is intensifying; etc. This situation occurs not only because some national governments lack sufficient emphasis or effort, but is also closely related to the failure to explore the practical pathways for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Only by building global ecological civilization and realizing transformation of development models, so that some development objectives that conflict with each other are transformed into ones that mutually reinforce one another, can the UN Sustainable Development Goals be expected to be achieved as a whole.
In advancing the modernization of the Global South, the current international division of labour places developed countries at the high end of the value chain and developing countries at the low end, making it impossible to achieve common prosperity of all countries. This pattern is a product of the inherent limitations of traditional modernization models. Building a global ecological civilization provides the Global South with opportunities for modernization development through green development and for achieving ‘overtaking on a curve’, and is conducive to promoting an equal and orderly world multi-polarization and inclusive and universally beneficial economic globalization. Building a global ecological civilization also means that development models will no longer excessively rely, as in the past, on large-scale consumption of resources, helping to reduce social conflicts triggered by competition for resources and better safeguard world peace and security. 为驱动发展方式变革擘画前景可期的解决方案。建设全球生态文明对于全球环境治理、实现联合国可持续发展目标、推进全球南方现代化、维护世界和平与安全等诸多全球问题的解决都具有积极作用。在全球环境治理方面，建设全球生态文明要求各国同走绿色发展之路，引导各国挖掘和分享绿色发展中孕育的巨大机遇，推动全球环境治理的底层逻辑从责任分担走向机遇共享，不断增强各国合作加强全球环境治理的内在动力。在实现联合国可持续发展目标方面，联合国《2025年可持续发展目标报告》显示，可持续发展目标169个细项中，仅35%进展顺利，近一半进展缓慢，18%出现倒退。目前的进度不足以在2030年实现所有可持续发展目标。全球尚有8亿人处于绝对贫困状态；数十亿人缺乏安全的饮用水和卫生服务；气候变化加剧；等等。出现这种情况，不只是因为有的国家政府重视不够、工作不足，也与未能探寻出可持续发展目标的实践路径密切相关。建设全球生态文明，实现发展方式变革，使一些彼此冲突的发展目标转变为相互促进，才有望整体实现联合国可持续发展目标。在推进全球南方现代化方面，当前的国际分工格局使发达国家居于价值链的高端，发展中国家居于价值链的低端，无法实现各国共同繁荣。这种国际分工格局是传统现代化模式内在局限性的产物。建设全球生态文明为全球南方提供了通过绿色发展实现弯道超车的现代化发展机遇，有利于推动平等有序的世界多极化和普惠包容的经济全球化。建设全球生态文明，意味着发展方式不再像过去那样过度依赖对资源的大规模消耗，有助于减少因资源争夺而引发的社会冲突，更好维护世界和平与安全.
In today’s turbulent and complex world, instability and uncertainty are more pronounced. Some countries are denying the ecological environmental problems currently facing all of humanity, such as climate change, and are reversing the wheels of history in promoting green development, obstructing regional and global sustainable development. Despite this, an increasing number of countries and people around the world recognize that building a global ecological civilization is the only path for sustainable development for humanity. Building a global ecological civilization injects more stability and positive energy into promoting global development and reforming the global governance system, and contributes to building a community of shared future for mankind. This is an important public good that Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization contributes to the international community. 在变乱交织的当今世界，不稳定性不确定性更加突出，个别国家否认气候变化等当前全人类共同面临的生态环境问题，在推动绿色发展上开历史倒车，阻碍地区和世界可持续发展。尽管如此，世界上越来越多的国家和人民认识到，建设全球生态文明是人类可持续发展的必由之路。建设全球生态文明为推动全球发展和全球治理体系变革、携手构建人类命运共同体注入更多稳定性和正能量，为人类发展进步提供更强推动力，是习近平生态文明思想为国际社会贡献的重要公共产品。
In the final section of the article, Zhang says that “building a global ecological civilization is an important concept, marking the movement of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization from China toward the world. It is essential to strengthen systemic thinking and dialectical thinking, grasp the principal contradiction and the principal aspect of the contradiction, identify the breakthrough point for problems, and grasp the focal point of work to earnestly promote the construction of global ecological civilization. Through the continuous integration of theory with practice and the unification of thought and action, we should more broadly demonstrate the truth power and practical power of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, contribute Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength to promoting sustainable development for humanity, and fully display China’s image as a responsible major country that is an important participant, contributor, and leader in the building of global ecological civilization.” 建设全球生态文明，是标志着习近平生态文明思想从中国走向世界的重要概念。我们要强化系统思维、辩证思维，抓住主要矛盾和矛盾的主要方面，找准问题突破口，把握工作着力点，切实推动全球生态文明建设，不断在理论与实际相结合、思想与行动相统一中，更加广泛地彰显习近平生态文明思想的真理力量和实践伟力，为推动人类可持续发展贡献中国智慧、中国方案、中国力量，充分展现中国作为全球生态文明建设重要参与者、贡献者和引领者的负责任大国形象.
In this context, he outlines two broad agenda items.
Constructing an independent Chinese knowledge system of ecological civilization will inject intellectual impetus into the building of global ecological civilization. Countries around the world, particularly the Global South which accounts for the vast majority of the world’s population, have an urgent need for knowledge on how to achieve modernization in a green and low-carbon way. The development experience of a few developed countries, characterized by ‘pollute first and treat later’, cannot provide useful lessons for the Global South. China’s ecological civilization construction has achieved remarkable success, realizing harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature through green development, and forging a Chinese path to modernization. Its theory and practice have unique value for building a global ecological civilization and addressing major issues in global green transformation. Currently, many developing countries hope to learn from and reference China’s development experience, but this often remains at a superficial level and fails to go deep. This is closely related to the fact that the international communication of our country’s ecological civilization construction theory and practice needs to be strengthened, and the ideological and spiritual power behind the Beautiful China stories has not yet been sufficiently displayed. This requires us to summarize Chinese experiences with Chinese principles, elevate Chinese experiences into Chinese theories, strengthen the systematic research and theoretical interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. We must promote the construction of China’s autonomous knowledge system of ecological civilization and create new concepts, new categories, and new expressions that connect China and the world surrounding the core essence, spiritual substance, rich connotations, and practical requirements of building a global ecological civilization. Theoretically, we must profoundly reveal the significant differences between building global ecological civilization and mere environmentalism in terms of philosophical foundations, inherent logic, development methods, and policy effects. We must comprehensively promote the international communication of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, showcasing its original contributions and fundamental principles, and continuously constructing and leading the global green development discourse system. 建构中国自主的生态文明知识体系，为建设全球生态文明注入思想动力。世界各国特别是占全球人口绝大多数的全球南方对于如何以绿色低碳方式实现自身现代化有着迫切的知识需求。少数发达国家“先污染、后治理”的发展经验无法为全球南方提供有益的借鉴。中国生态文明建设取得举世瞩目的成就，以绿色发展实现人与自然和谐共生，走出一条中国式现代化道路，其理论和实践对于建设全球生态文明、解决全球绿色转型中的重大问题具有独特价值。当前，许多发展中国家希望学习借鉴中国的发展经验，但往往停留在表面、未能深入。这与我国生态文明建设理论与实践的国际传播工作有待加强，美丽中国故事背后的思想力量和精神力量展现得还不够充分密切相关。这就要求我们用中国道理总结好中国经验，把中国经验提升为中国理论，强化习近平生态文明思想体系化研究、学理化阐释，推动建构中国自主的生态文明知识体系，围绕建设全球生态文明的核心要义、精神实质、丰富内涵、实践要求打造融通中外的新概念新范畴新表述，从理论上深刻揭示建设全球生态文明与单纯的环保主义在哲学基础、内在逻辑、发展方式、政策效果等方面的重大区别，全面推进习近平生态文明思想国际传播，展现其原创性贡献和原理性成果，不断建构和引领全球绿色发展话语体系.
Reforming and improving global environmental governance and actively promoting global green development. Building a global ecological civilization requires international cooperation, strengthening global environmental governance, reforming and improving the global environmental governance system, and better consolidating global efforts for green development. The current global environmental governance system still suffers from issues that are incompatible with and inconsistent with the construction of a global ecological civilization. For example, a small number of developed countries monopolize global environmental governance, while multilateral governance mechanisms are marginalized or selectively used to safeguard the interests of a few developed countries; although the weight of the Global South in the international landscape continues to rise, the discourse power and representativeness of developing countries have not increased accordingly, and the global environmental governance system still cannot better reflect the interests of the majority of countries. It is necessary to practice genuine multilateralism, safeguard international fairness and justice, and build a more just and reasonable global environmental governance system, promoting shared responsibilities and shared benefits among countries and effectively enhancing governance efficiency. On this basis, we must also use more practical measures for green development to assist countries in transforming their development modes, translating green development goals into concrete actions. We should fully give play to the important role of the global environmental governance system, promote international cooperation on green development, implement the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and encourage developed countries to provide assistance and support to developing countries in green and low-carbon transformation, enabling high-quality green technologies and products to circulate freely so that developing countries can use them, afford them, and use them well, thereby creating more development opportunities and space for developing countries. In this regard, China has made important contributions to the global green and low-carbon transition by building closer green development partnerships and strengthening international cooperation in areas such as green infrastructure, green energy, green transport, and green finance. 改革完善全球环境治理，积极推动全球绿色发展。建设全球生态文明，需要国际社会携手合作，加强全球环境治理，改革完善全球环境治理体系，更好凝聚全球绿色发展合力。现在的全球环境治理体系还存在一些与建设全球生态文明不适应、不协调的问题。比如，少数发达国家垄断全球环境治理，多边治理机制被边缘化或选择性利用以维护少数发达国家利益；全球南方在国际格局中的分量持续提升，但广大发展中国家话语权和代表性没有相应增加，全球环境治理体系还不能更好反映大多数国家的利益。必须践行真正的多边主义，捍卫国际公平正义，构建更加公正合理的全球环境治理体系，促进各国责任共担、利益共享，切实提升治理效能。在此基础上，还要以更多绿色发展的务实举措助力各国发展方式变革，把绿色发展目标转化为实际行动。充分发挥全球环境治理体系的重要作用，推动绿色发展国际合作，落实共同但有区别的责任原则，促进发达国家向发展中国家提供绿色低碳转型方面的帮助和支持，使优质绿色技术和产品自由流通，让广大发展中国家也能用得上、用得起、用得好，为发展中国家营造更多发展机遇和空间。在这方面，中国通过建设更加紧密的绿色发展伙伴关系，加强绿色基建、绿色能源、绿色交通、绿色金融等领域国际合作，为全球绿色低碳转型作出了重要贡献.