A forum on Yangtze River protection and development, hosted by the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD), opened in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality on June 13. The theme of the forum was accelerating the formation of green productive forces to promote the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Zhu Yongxin, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and executive vice-chairman of the CAPD Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. 

Noting that the Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important engine for China's economic development, Zhu said that to develop new quality productive forces and drive the high-quality development of the region, it is essential to promote scientific and technological innovation, facilitate the transformation of scientific achievements, and adhere to development strategies in accordance with local conditions.

Zhu added that the Yangtze River, with its unique ecosystem, is an important ecological treasure trove and ecological security barrier for China, and the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt fundamentally depends on the high-quality ecological environment of the Yangtze River Basin.

Zhu called for a systematic approach to advance the protection and restoration of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River, addressing both root causes and symptoms, adhering to the principles of joint governance and shared benefits, and accelerating green transformation and structural adjustment.

Further efforts should be made to improve institutional guarantees by enhancing policy and work coordination in the region, develop the legal and regulatory framework, and improve regional cooperation mechanisms and ecological compensation mechanisms, he said.

The forum, which lasted for a day and a half, includes briefings and discussions among over 120 participants, including government officials, experts and scholars from universities and research institutions nationwide.