The Guangdong cities of Zhuhai and Huizhou, and Shenzhen's Yantian District have made it to the preliminary list of Demonstration Cities & Counties of China Ecological Civilization Construction.
They are among 48 cities, counties, and districts from 25 provincial-level administrative regions, approved by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) on Sept 7. Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces, each with five entries, have the largest number of Demonstration Cities & Counties.
As an upgrade from National Ecological Cities & Counties, the new title is expected to further advance an ecological civilization construction campaign.
According to the MEP, only a National Ecological City may apply for Demonstration City status. Initially, a city must pass an on-site review of the National Model City of Environmental Protection agency.
Zhuhai demonstrates China Ecological Civilization Construction. [Photo courtesy rmit.com.cn]
Zhuhai has made significant strides in positioning itself as an ecological demonstration city. In 2012, it passed the on-site review. In 2014, the city swept through the technical evaluation and on-site inspection of a National Ecological City, and received the official nomination in 2016. That same year, Zhuhai was Guangdong's only "Advanced Collective" winner of the First China Ecological Civilization Award.