The Spain session of the “Green Code, Chinese Wisdom — Global Youth: Voices for River Ecology” International Youth Dialogue on River and Lake Ecological Governance kicked off in Madrid on September 30, alongside the opening of the exhibition “Ecological Progress in Jiangsu”.
Co-hosted by Xinhua Daily Media Group and the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, the exhibition centers on water and highlights Jiangsu's ecological progress, conservation efforts and development vitality as a water-rich province.
Among the guests were Francisco de Borja Fanjul Fernández-Pita, President of the Madrid City Council and Mayor of Moncloa-Aravaca, and José Miguel Blanco, President of the People's Party of Usera District and Director of the Office of the President of the Madrid City Council. In his remarks, Blanco noted that environmental issues know no borders and that meeting challenges requires knowledge, innovation and, above all, cooperation.
“Development and environmental protection are not conflicting goals”, Blanco said. “It is particularly meaningful that this exchange is being held in Madrid today and that we are discussing cooperation with Jiangsu. In the face of shared challenges, sharing knowledge and experience is always more beneficial than working alone.”
Yu Zhongbo, former President of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and current Chair of Water Education, said that China has been effectively addressing water security challenges for 5,000 years and has played a key role in coordinating international scientific cooperation. As extreme water-related events becoming more frequent, he called for stronger cooperation among academia, government and industry, with particular attention to nurturing young scientists and building global momentum for a sustainable future.
"Although China and Spain are far apart, the shared aspiration of our peoples for a better environment and a green, sustainable future brings us closer together," said Le Jia, Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Spain. She expressed hope that the event would serve as a starting point for a regular exchange platform and deepen China-Spain green cooperation at the technical, policy and people-to-people levels, working together to create a planet with bluer skies, greener mountains and clearer waters for future generations.
At the opening ceremony, Pan Liangbao, First-Level Inspector of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, and Hang Chunyan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua Daily, also delivered remarks. They expressed hope that more international youth will become green ambassadors connecting China and Spain. On the same day, experts, scholars and youth representatives from China and Spain held discussions on water resource governance and youth environmental initiatives, sharing ideas and learning from each other to bring youthful energy and fresh perspectives to global ecological governance.
In August this year, the "Green Code, Chinese Wisdom" International Youth Dialogue invited experts from UNESCO, scholars from universities around the world and international student representatives to visit Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi and Yancheng in Jiangsu Province. The current visit to Europe serves as a vivid example of mutual learning between civilizations.
Zhu Na, Zhu Wei, Wang Ruifeng and Gu Xingxin contributed to this story.
