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"China Should Accelerate Sustainable Urban Development"
China's urbanization has been rapid over the past 20 years, and it is now time to speed up sustainable urban development, according to an expert at an environmental meeting on Wednesday.
At the 21st Century Forum on Forestry and Environmental Protection, Yang Chongguang said that in the 21st century, China's cities will be modernized on a priority basis. Therefore, the realization of sustainable urban development will lead to the unification of economic, environmental and social benefits all over China.
According to Yang, since the reform and opening up policies began in China in the late 1970s, the country's cities have entered a fast-growth period. In 1978, the number of Chinese cities was 193, and in 2000 it was 667. As for towns, there were 2,173 in 1978, and over 20,000 in 2000.
On how to realize sustainable development while the number of cities explodes, Yang admitted that there exist many constraints, such as pollution, lack of water, limited land, the growth of urban pollution, and the expanding gap between the rich and the poor.
Yang suggested that a city is in itself an ecological system, and we must follow ecological rules to realize sustainable urban development. Consequently, we must apply correct city development policies, optimize the urban economic structure, and use land and other resources properly.
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