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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
JINAN, November 4 (Xinhua) — The second meeting of the China-Central Asia Political Party Dialogue was held on November 3 in Qingdao, Shandong Province, east China. It was attended by approximately 150 people, including the leaders of more than 20 political parties from five Central Asian countries, diplomats from these countries accredited in China, and other Chinese and foreign representatives. Environmental governance was a key topic of discussion.
As part of the event, a field meeting on the topic of “Political Parties’ Search for Environmental Governance” was held in Licang District, Qingdao, near the Licunhe River.
The Licunhe River, 16.7 kilometers long, is the longest river within Qingdao's urban area, with the largest number of tributaries. For a long time, untreated sewage and solid waste from surrounding villages were dumped into the river, and its banks were plowed into farmland using pesticides and fertilizers, turning the Licunhe into a byword for a fetid ditch. However, comprehensive management by the city of Qingdao in recent years has helped transform the river from turbid and dirty to clean.
At a field meeting, Sheradil Baktygulov, Director of the Kyrgyz Institute of World Politics, noted that Central Asia annually sets new temperature records, and abnormal heat negatively impacts crops, water supplies, and public health. Central Asia, a region with a population of 80 million, is largely covered by steppes and deserts and faces serious environmental challenges that cannot be addressed alone.
"No country can address environmental challenges on its own," emphasized several political party leaders present at the event. They stated that environmental challenges know no borders and require a joint response. Actively sharing experiences between political parties and jointly seeking effective solutions are especially important in today's world.
China has now achieved a comprehensive strategic partnership with the five Central Asian countries, jointly building a community with a shared future for humanity in a bilateral format. Dialogue participants praised China's cooperation in environmental governance, noting that China's efforts to combat desertification and restore ecological balance serve as a model for Central Asian countries.
In recent years, Uzbekistan has launched extensive efforts to improve the environment and restore natural ecosystems. Abdushukur Khamzaev, leader of the Ecological Party of Uzbekistan, reported that nearly 900 million trees have been planted in the country over the past five years. Work is underway to combat desertification in the Aral Sea region, where over 2 million hectares of green space have already been created. Uzbekistan has carefully studied China's extensive experience in restoring the ecosystems of the Taklamakan and Kumtagh deserts.
A. Khamzaev also stated that Uzbekistan and China are collaborating on developing new drought-resistant agricultural crop varieties. Many Chinese varieties have already been successfully tested in Uzbekistan, demonstrating high yields and contributing to increased agricultural efficiency and food security in Central Asia.
The issue of accelerating the development of a green economy has become another topic that has attracted the interest of representatives of political parties.
In June of this year, Azamatkhan Amirtayev, Chairman of the Baitak Green Party of Kazakhstan, visited the Qinghai Provincial Achievements Exhibition in Astana, where he was impressed by the fact that Qinghai ranks first in China in terms of installed clean energy capacity.
A. Amirtayev noted that two vital transboundary rivers, the Irtysh and the Ili, flow through Kazakhstan. Regarding the protection of these rivers' ecosystems, he expressed hope for China's continued assistance in areas such as the introduction of modern water purification and conservation technologies, strengthening cooperation between the two countries' hydrological research institutes, and soil restoration and landscaping.
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