Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of remaining steadfast in comprehensively deepening reform and expanding high-standard opening-up, besides taking the lead in advancing Chinese modernization.
During his inspection tour of Guangdong from Monday to Thursday, President Xi witnessed the protection of mangrove forests at Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve, the biggest single mangrove forest in China.
Calling mangrove forests a national treasure, Xi said, “We should protect mangrove forests like we protect our eyes”, according to the CGTN.
As the country is advancing the progress of ecological civilization, protecting wetlands, including the mangrove forests is increasingly in the spotlight.
According to official data released by the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources, about 55 percent of the mangrove wetlands in China are under state protection, higher than the world average of 25 percent.
Data also shows that China’s mangrove forests have increased from 22,000 hectares in 2001 to 27,000 hectares today, against the backdrop of global shrinkage.
China will build an international mangrove center in Shenzhen, President Xi said in a video speech at the opening ceremony of the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) last November.
During his visit to LG Display’s manufacturing base in Guangzhou, Xi inspected the province’s efforts to promote high-level opening-up and advance high-quality development in manufacturing, and how local enterprises boost innovation and build their own brands.
Xi voiced the hope that foreign investors will seize the opportunity to come to China, to Guangdong and to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, to be deeply rooted in the Chinese market and to create new glories for business development.
Under the policy of high-standard opening-up, China has issued a series of measures to level the playing field, so that foreign companies can enjoy a better business environment in the country.
In 2022, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, increased by 8 percent year on year to $189.13 billion.
When visiting a research and development center of Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd., Xi also stressed China’s reform and opening-up policy will remain unchanged for a long time and the door of China’s opening-up will never shut.—APP
