Interview: China makes inspiring progress in biodiversity conservation: Thai official

BANGKOK, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- China has made inspiring progress in biodiversity conservation and become a leader on global biodiversity issue, managing to strike a balance between economic development and biodiversity conservation, a senior Thai official said.

"China has shown a very good leadership in many aspects, such as conserving biodiversity and striving to strike a balance between economic development and environmental protection," Prasert Sirinapaporn, deputy secretary general of Thailand's Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, told Xinhua in an interview.

As one of the countries with the richest biodiversity in the world, China has the experiences in protecting the eco-system and biodiversity while boosting economic growth, which could inspire Thailand and other developing countries, Prasert said.

Hailing China as a leader with determination and action, Prasert cited its achievement in forest restoration. China enhanced financial input and expanded forest coverage rate within a short frame of time, contributing to both sustainable development and global biodiversity, he said.

Genetic, information and communications and other technological progress is playing an increasingly significant role in supporting the conservation of biodiversity, he said, adding that China has great potential in these sectors.

Prasert said China, in hosting the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) despite the COVID-19 impact, has demonstrated its will and determination in promoting biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.

He noted that biodiversity loss has become a common challenge for countries. In particular for developing countries, as promoting economic development might come at the cost of biodiversity, it is a need to get assistance and support from developed countries, from fund, technology to expert teams, he said.

The COP15 kicked off Monday in Kunming, the capital of Southwest China's Yunnan Province. The first part of the meeting will last until Friday, with parallel activities featuring forums on topics including climate change and ecological conservation. The second part of the meeting scheduled to be held next year will review and make a decision on the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework," a blueprint for biodiversity conservation for the next decade.