Anji to put Xi's 'Two Mountains' Theory to the test

Known as the birthplace for the "Two Mountains" Theory - lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets - Anji, a mountainous county in East China's Zhejiang province, has been striving to tap a new way to achieve sustainable and high-quality development while keeping the environment green.

The county, located in Huzhou of Zhejiang province, was recently approved as a pilot zone for the successful implementation of the theory by provincial authorities with ecology being at the forefront.

The province aims to build the county into a national sample of both green development and integrated development of urban and rural areas by 2022.

President Xi Jinping came up with the theory during his visit to Anji in 2005, when he was Party secretary of Zhejiang province.

On Nov 20, 2017, a meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform presided by Xi passed a three-year action plan for improving the rural living environment in China.

According to the plan, the country aims to make remarkable improvements in rural areas by 2020. Villages should be clean and tidy, and villagers should have enhanced hygiene and health awareness.

As early as 2001, the county of Anji decided to follow an ecology-oriented development path instead of the previous one that depended on resource consumption. Since then, the county has held fast to environmental protection. In the process of matching its ecological advantages to the forces of development, Anji insists on green development by greatly promoting environmentally friendly industries like eco-agriculture and tourism.

In 2018, the GDP in Anji reached 40.4 billion yuan ($5.7 billion), up 8.3 percent year-on-year. The general fiscal revenue hit 8 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 19 percent. Last year, Anji received over 25 million tourist visits from home and abroad, generating revenue of 32.5 billion yuan. The value added of the tourism industry accounted for 13.5 percent of the total GDP, the official statistics revealed.

Furthermore, through the building of beautiful villages, the county has successfully explored a way for the harmonious development of the economy and ecology, rural and urban areas, farmers and urban residents, agriculture and other industries.

"High-quality green development will be the main theme of the construction of the pilot zone," noted Xu Xing, vice-director of the province's development and reform commission.

Seeing the zone construction as a great opportunity, Fang Min, director of Zhejiang Environmental Protection Bureau, suggested the county continue to explore effective ways to carry forward the "Two Mountains" Theory and innovate mechanisms and systems for higher efficiency.

The official stressed the comprehensive and whole-process management when building the pilot zone, urging the improvement of the quality and stability of the local ecosystem.

According to Fang, the bureau has sorted out nearly 20 projects related to policy, capital and technology and mapped out a detailed plan of action to support Anji's green development.

Qin Jirong contributed to this story.