Calls for cooperation at Trans-Himalaya Forum

Delegates from across the world marvel at Xizang's ecological gains

Delegates at a recent forum in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region have highlighted the region's ecological conservation efforts, calling for increased cooperation and exchange.

Themed "Promoting the Harmony of Humans and Nature, Sharing the Fruits of Cooperation and Development", the fourth China Xizang Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation was held from July 4-5 in the town of Lunang in Nyingchi city, attracting attendees from more than 20 countries and regions.

Since the first forum in 2018, China has cooperated with related parties on working toward the goals of protecting Xizang, known as the "roof of the world", and safeguarding the Earth as the home of all people, said Qin Boyong, vice-chairperson of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

Extensive international cooperation has been undertaken to improve ecological environment governance, promote green development and deepen mutual learning among civilizations, with the aim of promoting high-quality development together with high-level ecological and environmental protection, Qin said at the forum's opening ceremony.

Forum attendees exchanged views on such issues as environmental and cultural protection, tourism development, highland agriculture and animal husbandry.

Lee Flores Enrique Segundo, a member of the House of Representatives of Chile who was visiting Xizang for the first time, said he has been impressed by the region's cleanliness and the warmth of the local people.

He said that his home country faces similar challenges to China, such as developing high-altitude regions without harming the environment.

"This forum serves as a valuable learning platform where we could exchange ideas and we also learned from China's policies on enhancing citizen awareness of environmental protection," he said.

In Xizang, environmental conservation has been prioritized, with a third of the region's land now consisting of nature reserves.

Xizang maintains excellent air quality levels almost all of the time, its major rivers and lakes meet or exceed Class III water quality and it has achieved carbon neutrality ahead of schedule, making it a region with one of the best ecological environments in the world, according to Wang Junzheng, secretary of the Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Thaung Naing Oo, director-general of the forest department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of Myanmar, was making his second visit to Xizang.

He said that by observing the well-preserved natural environment during his two visits, he has gained a deeper understanding of the autonomous region's ecological civilization protection concepts.

"I think this forum plays a very important role in understanding the important linkage between humans and nature," he said.

Vivian Tatiana Camacho Hinojosa, an official of Bolivia's Ministry of Health and Sports, praised Xizang's efforts to balance development with the preservation of tradition.

"In Xizang, one cannot only see beautiful landscapes but ancient buildings and culture. It preserves vibrant ancient traditions," she said.

Previous Trans-Himalaya Forum sessions were held in Nyingchi in 2018 and 2019, with the third forum seeing the release of the Nyingchi Initiative in October 2023 to deepen international cooperation in the trans-Himalaya region.

In the initiative, China has proposed to deepen international ecological cooperation and promote harmony between humans and nature; strengthen international development cooperation and share the outcomes of development; promote people-to-people cultural dialogues and exchanges and safeguard the diversity of world civilizations; maintain international peace and security and improve the global governance system.

The trans-Himalaya region is characterized by a large population, diverse civilizations and substantial ecological diversity. Its development is crucial to the common well-being of people all over the world, the initiative noted.

The document also seeks to promote clean and low-carbon energy and its safe and efficient use in the trans-Himalaya region; accelerate collaboration in new energy, environmental protection and other fields; and assist the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development in the region.

Xinhua contributed to this story.