China's new urbanization to contribute to world: envoy

A Chinese envoy said on Tuesday that the ongoing urbanization process in China, which he called "new urbanization," will not only benefit from but also contribute to the whole world.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks at the High-level Panel Discussion and Luncheon on Sustainable Urbanization in China, jointly organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the China Energy Fund Committee (CEFC), an ECOSOC-accredited NGO, at the UN headquarters.

"As urbanization gains momentum in many parts of the world, to ensure its sustainability, balance between economic growth and social progress and harmony between man and nature has become more important," Liu told the panel discussion.

"What approach we take bears on our common future," he said. "China is undergoing an urbanization process unparalleled in its history and has mapped out how to go about this for the period spanning from 2014 to 2020 in a comprehensive document featuring 31 chapters."

Liu noted that the urbanization in China is taking place in the context of its unprecedented interaction with the rest of the world.

"It both benefits from and contributes to growth opportunities in the world," he said, adding that the unfolding of China's new urbanization will add greatly to its market size and create enormous opportunities for trade, investment, for the world.

Furthermore, Liu said, China's urbanization process will not only contribute to the global effort to preserve the world's eco-environment and address climate change, but will also enrich the collective experience of the international community in pursuing urbanization.

"In our new urbanization, we will draw on the ideas, concepts and experience of other countries and share with them ours, to contribute to the sustainable development and urbanization in other parts of the world," he said.

In his speech, the Chinese envoy also noted that "new urbanization" is the key word of his country's ongoing urbanization process.

"In a nutshell, it is an integrated concept, not simply about changes in urban and rural population or skyline and landscape," Liu said.

He stressed that the new urbanization process is people-centered and inclusive, whose main focus is people's wellbeing.

"Education, employment, the social safety net, public health services are very high on the urbanization agenda," said Liu. "Every effort is made to enable everyone to share the dividend of development and live a better life."

The ambassador went on to say that the new urbanization is sustainable, which means it is pursued in the light of China's environmental and resources endowment.

"With a population of more than 1.3 billion, we must be very frugal with our natural resources and very sensitive to our environment," he said. "Through cultivation of a conservation culture, we seek to ensure sustainability urbanization and its harmony with nature."

Liu further underlined that China's new urbanization is about efficiency, with high priority given to optimal and efficient use of resources to achieve economic growth and restructuring.

"This new urbanization process has become an important driver for a new type of industrialization, job generation and expansion of domestic demand, contributing to economic and social development and environmental protection," he added.

In March, China unveiled the National New-type Urbanization Plan (2014-2020) in an effort to steer the country's urbanization onto a human-centered and environmentally friendly path.

The plan provides strategic and fundamental guidance for the healthy development of urbanization across the country during the seven-year period.