By admin 
LI MIN/CHINA DAILY
At the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November and the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in December, China demonstrated the central role its border regions have played in deepening of the South African economy. Southern cooperation on climate change and combating desertification. For example, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China has built the world’s longest green barrier around a desert – the 3,046-kilometer-long Taklimakan Desert Green Belt – to prevent the desert from expanding.
Ecological governance in China’s border areas plays an important role in strengthening ecological security, promoting common prosperity and safeguarding national security. It also contributes to building an ecological community of countries along the Belt and Road and improving the global ecological environment.
China’s frontier ecological governance differs from some Western countries’ development model of overuse of natural resources, as well as from the old paradigm of “pollute first, treat later”. Instead, the country is pursuing a Chinese modernization that emphasizes the harmony between humans and nature. The Chinese approach is different and more environmentally friendly than the mainstream neoliberal ecological governance model prevalent in the West, and is free from ‘ecological capitalization’ while avoiding its moral and practical dilemmas.
Moreover, it transcends the prevailing Western dichotomy between nature-centered and human-centered perspectives, and advocates a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Key concepts of the ecological governance model include “clear waters and lush mountains are priceless”. It believes in the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, agricultural lands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, and adopts a ‘whole life cycle’ approach to ecological restoration and protection. These principles have enabled theoretical breakthroughs in ecological governance.
Moreover, China’s frontier ecological governance represents an organic integration of government leadership, policy-driven initiatives, technological empowerment, and social mobilization.
Through top-level design and strategic planning, the government facilitates the implementation of ecological projects and provides clear direction for ecological governance. It has also incorporated ecological protection objectives and assessment criteria into the performance evaluation systems of local governments, with policies in finance, regulation and other areas guiding the balanced development of the economy, society and ecology.
Using technologies such as satellite remote sensing, big data and artificial intelligence, border regions have established efficient ecological monitoring and evaluation systems. They also use renewable energy technologies and ecological restoration techniques, have developed the green economy and taken measures to improve ecological governance.
China’s frontier ecological administration has established an integrated development model that combines ecological security, common prosperity and national security. For example, southern Xinjiang faces multi-tasks in ecological protection, economic development and national security, which are often interrelated and mutually reinforcing. And to tackle these, an integrated approach is needed that unites these three elements into a coherent whole.
In this regard, for example, the Kekeya Afforestation Project in southern tertiary industries. .
The initiative has laid the foundation for achieving common prosperity and strengthening national security, going beyond the scope of ecological protection to integrate regional economic development and social progress. This integrated ecological governance model has not only helped improve the living conditions of local residents, which in turn has enabled them to resist the spread of extremist ideologies, but has also prevented the infiltration of the ‘three evil forces’ (terrorism , separatism and extremism) in society. region, strengthening border security and laying a solid foundation for development.
It should be widely recognized that China’s frontier ecological administration has explored a new global cooperation model that emphasizes mutual benefit and win-win results. In terms of policies and cooperation mechanisms, China has proposed and participated in multiple global frameworks for ecological cooperation, laying the policy foundation for international cooperation on ecological governance at borders.
For example, the Belt and Road Initiative emphasizes green development as a core principle and promotes deep cooperation among participating countries on ecological protection and sustainable development.
By signing bilateral or multilateral agreements with neighboring countries, China has established various cooperation mechanisms in ecological governance, such as environmental cooperation under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the protection of water resources under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Mechanism.
In terms of cooperative practices and innovative models, China and some of its neighbors have jointly established transboundary ecological protection zones that facilitate the holistic protection of ecosystems and promote transboundary ecotourism; cooperate in transboundary management of natural resources, ensuring their rational allocation and utilization; share green ecological governance technologies and promote cooperation in overseas green industrial projects; establish international cooperation centers for ecological governance; and share environmental data and monitoring systems to improve the efficiency of transnational ecological governance by using technologies such as remote sensing, big data analytics and artificial intelligence.
In conclusion, China’s frontier ecological governance not only promotes domestic ecological civilization, but also promotes ecological diplomacy with other countries. Together they are building an ecological governance community, contributing valuable experiences to achieving a global ecological civilization and sustainable development.
The author is an assistant researcher at the Institute of Contemporary China Studies.
The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
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