China to drive progress in global wetland conservation: FM spokesperson

As a doer in the conservation and rational use of wetlands, China will drive new progress in global wetlands conservation, the foreign ministry said on Monday.

The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) concluded on Sunday.

"China actively fulfilled its duties as chair and helped the conference achieve fruitful outcomes,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.

"Thirteen cities have been awarded international wetland cities and over 600 wetland nature reserves and 900 national wetland parks have been set up" since China joined the Ramsar Convention 30 years ago, she said.

"With 4 percent of the world's wetlands, China has met the diverse demands of one-fifth of the world's population for wetlands," Mao said. "China is a doer in the conservation and rational use of wetlands in the world.

"The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC described Chinese modernization as modernization for harmony between humanity and nature and stressed the need to protect nature and the environment as we do our own lives. China will continue to actively fulfill its duties under the Ramsar Convention, plan and advance green development for the lofty purpose of achieving harmony between humanity and nature, and drive new progress in global wetlands conservation and other global ecological and environmental protection endeavors."

(Produced by Xie Runjia)