Imagine a world where fresh rivers, green hills 🌱, and booming economies go hand in hand.
In 2005, during a visit to Zhejiang Province, President Xi Jinping introduced the two mountains concept—linking lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. This idea reshaped the Chinese mainland’s environmental policies, showing that economic growth and nature protection can be allies, not enemies.
Zhang Yanru from Zhejiang Normal University explains that this simple concept is now a strategic guide for humans and nature to thrive together.
At its birthplace in Zhejiang, local leaders cracked down on pollution, powered up low-carbon factories, and launched the 811 Action to revive rivers and boost rural green prosperity.
Over in Africa, the idea is catching on! Ali-said Matano, Blue Economy Advisor and Regional Director for the Africa Centre for Environment and Water Services, highlights the Lake Victoria Basin. He says healthy waters depend on caring for the surrounding land—exactly the two mountains concept in action.
The Chinese mainland now leads global clean energy installations, topping charts in hydropower, wind, and solar capacity. Thanks to this drive, global costs for wind and solar have dropped over 60% and 80% in the last decade ⚡.
Green partnerships between the Chinese mainland and Africa are sprouting up: from the China-Africa Green Industrial Chain Fund to marine observation projects and biodiversity protection programs.
Matano cheers on the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center in Nairobi, working hand in hand with UNEP. He sees it as a pillar for future eco-collaboration.
From a local experiment in Zhejiang to a global blueprint, the two mountains vision shows that protecting nature means investing in our collective future. Africa and the Chinese mainland are writing a new chapter in sustainable growth—are you ready to turn the page? 🌍✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
