China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment Issued Implementation Opinions on Launching Pilot Zones for Building a Beautiful China (Part 1)

▲ The Gunnais River at Xinjiang's Nalati National Tourism Resort. [Xinhua]

Building pilot zones for a beautiful China is crucial to advancing the Beautiful China Initiative comprehensively and is a key pillar for establishing a new framework for its development. To implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, accelerate the construction of the Beautiful China Pilot Zones, and explore integrated approaches to high-quality development and high-level environmental protection, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment proposes the following guidelines.

1. General Requirements.

Focusing on deepening pollution prevention, improving ecological environment quality, and enhancing public well-being, the approach emphasizes reform and innovation, targeted breakthroughs, and demonstration-driven progress. At the regional, provincial, municipal, and county levels, the focus will be on promoting green and low-carbon development, achieving fundamental ecological improvement, strengthening ecological protection and restoration, securing ecological safety baselines, and deepening ecological civilization system reforms. By classifying and grading the construction of the Beautiful China Pilot Zones (hereinafter referred to as "Pilot Zones"), a range of practical and institutional innovations will be achieved by the end of 2027. Several model zones will be established to accumulate experience and set benchmarks for the comprehensive advancement of a Beautiful China.

2. Focusing on Major Regional Strategies to Create Green Development Hubs.

At the national level, in alignment with high-quality development requirements, the strategy will advance regional coordinated development and major regional initiatives. Priority will be given to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Efforts will be made to promote high-level protection of the Yangtze and Yellow River basins, address cross-provincial common issues, enhance regional green development cooperation, and deepen joint ecological protection and governance, thereby forming specific approaches for building a beautiful China.

2.1 Accelerating the construction of a collaborative pollution reduction and carbon mitigation demonstration zone in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Provide support to improve the ecological protection coordination mechanisms in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, deepen collaborative environmental legislation, and strengthen joint prevention and control of air pollution. Intensify the implementation of coal consumption control measures, and develop a cross-provincial zero-emission freight corridor. Focusing on restoring key coastal areas, including the Bohai Sea coastline, vital coastal wetlands, and estuaries, efforts should advance the construction of beautiful bays. Promote comprehensive groundwater over-extraction control in North China, along with collaborative construction of ecological security barriers in the Taihang and Yanshan Mountains and coastal ecological protection zones. Additionally, the green development demonstration zones in Beijing’s sub-center, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City, and Xiong'an New Area will be expedited.

2.2 Continuing the construction of a high-level protection and high-quality development model zone in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Support the three provinces and one municipality in the Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui) to deepen and expand ecological and environmental protection integration across Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui. Cultivate green productivity and expand green industry clusters. Strengthen the coordination of regional policies for energy conservation, emission reduction, and carbon mitigation, and establish a collaborative innovation zone for pollution and carbon reduction. Promote joint protection of key ecological barriers and corridors, along with comprehensive air, cross-boundary water, and hazardous waste governance. Improve the mechanisms for interregional emissions trading, and the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integration Development Demonstration Zone will be further developed.

2.3 Jointly building an innovative and integrated beautiful Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Support Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in deepening the alignment of regulations and mechanisms in ecological and environmental governance, and encourage exploring pilot programs for an internationalized environmental management system. Vigorously promote reforms in green finance, innovation as well as industrial development in green low-carbon technologies, while establishing a carbon footprint and low-carbon product certification system for the Greater Bay Area. High-level platforms for cooperation, including Hengqin, Qianhai, Nansha, and Hetao, will be developed, and international ecological cooperation will be expanded. Comprehensive improvements in air quality and the systematic protection of the Pearl River Delta river network and the Pearl River Estuary near-shore sea area will be pursued to build a "Waste-Free Bay Area".

Source：<https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202501/content_6998719.htm>

Editor & Translator: GUO Xinxin