Flourishing flora and fauna a great example of Qinghai's ecological efforts

Located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is known as the "Third Pole of the Earth", Northwest China's Qinghai province has been a key barrier for ecological security in Asia and the wider world. Through 10 years of efforts, the province has become a model for building up ecological civilization and harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Qinghai is the fourth-largest province in China in terms of area and is home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. It is also known for its rich water, solar and wind power resources. Blue skies, green mountains and clear waters are among the signature landscapes there.

The Three-River-Source National Park, located in Qinghai, was among the first batch of national parks in China. It has a unique ecosystem and a concentration of biodiversity in high-altitude regions.

Qinghai Lake is the largest inland and largest saline lake in China. Data from 2021 show that the water area of Qinghai Lake has increased by nearly 220 square kilometers over the past decade.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law came into force on Sept 1, as part of efforts to regulate ecological protection on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at national level.

Data show that populations of endangered species such as snow leopards, Tibetan antelopes, Tibetan gazelles and black-necked cranes have been increasing year-on-year.

Qinghai also has a large amount of desert and wasteland, making the prospect of developing clean energy promising. By utilizing abundant solar energy, hydropower and wind energy, Qinghai is constructing photovoltaic power generation parks and hybrid power stations.

As of the end of 2022, the province's installed capacity for power generation reached 44.68 million kilowatts, of which 91.2 percent, or 40.75 million kW, is from clean energy. And 28.14 million kW, or 62.9 percent, is from new energy.

Through ultrahigh voltage transmission channels, Qinghai's green electricity is powering Beijing Daxing International Airport and will serve the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games.

"We deeply understand that the Three-River-Source region and the 'water tower' belong not only to Qinghai but also to the nation and the world. Qinghai province is striving to build up ecological security barriers here and promote green development and build a community of a shared future for humans and nature," said Chen Gang, the Party secretary of Qinghai at an event promoting Qinghai's ecological civilization development in Xining in September.

The event invited about 150 foreign representatives from nearly 30 countries to Qinghai to investigate the achievements of Qinghai in building an ecological civilization and promoting harmony between humanity and nature.

Leaders of political parties from different countries emphasized the importance of cooperation among nations to protect the ecological environment, saying that China has embarked on a modernization path that promotes harmony between humanity and nature.

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