10 Nov 2026

For Xi, ecological conservation requires not only a profound shift in development philosophy, but also robust institutional safeguards.

As he has put it, 'Eco-environmental protection relies on laws and regulations.'

At his direction, environmental performance has become a key criterion for evaluating officials, while environmental inspections have reinforced local governments' accountability for fulfilling their environmental responsibilities. Together, these measures have helped steer China's economic growth toward a more resource-efficient and sustainable path.

Since 2012, China has sustained a 6 percent average annual economic growth rate while capping an average energy consumption increase to just 3.3 percent. This structural decoupling yielded a 26.1 percent cumulative decline in energy intensity, marking one of the steepest efficiency gains globally.

Xi has also led by example in promoting environmental protection and green development. Since becoming China's top leader, he has personally participated in tree-planting activities in Beijing for 14 consecutive years.

Forests have the capacity to conserve water, bring in economic benefits, and boost grain production, and now serve well as a carbon sink, he has noted.

Today, China has expanded its forest coverage to over 25 percent of its land area, planting trees across an area roughly 1.7 times the size of California since 2012. The annual carbon-sink capacity of China's forests and grassland has exceeded 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.

Fuad Gani, vice director of the Graduate School of Sustainable Development at the University of Indonesia, said that China's ecological conservation philosophy stands out for its ability to translate environmental goals into long-term policies and governance frameworks.

"It is one of China's most valuable contributions to advancing green transformation on the global stage," he said.