China News Service, Istanbul, November 13 (Reporters Wei Yuan and Wang Gaofei) How can Hainan, an island province surrounded by sea and rich in tropical natural resources, turn its ecological advantages into development advantages?
On November 12, local time, Zhang Jing, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, introduced Hainan Province's exploration and practice in tropical ecosystem protection, green and low-carbon transformation, and ecological value realization at the "China-Turkey Ecological Civilization and Green Transformation Dialogue" held in Istanbul, Turkey.
The dialogue was held during the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It was hosted by China News Service and Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization Research Center, and co-organized by China News Network and the Environmental and Economic Policy Research Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. This is the second time that the China News Agency's "News Living Room" has held a series of multilateral events in Türkiye. Representatives from Chinese and Turkish government departments, research institutions, enterprises, media and other parties attended the meeting.
Hainan tropical rainforest is the continental island tropical rainforest with the most concentrated distribution, the best preservation and the largest contiguous area in China. In 2021, the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park was officially established to further strengthen the overall protection of the tropical rainforest ecosystem.
The effectiveness of conservation can be seen from a rare animal. Zhang Jing gave an example at the meeting: Hainan gibbons are one of the most endangered primates in the world, with less than 10 remaining in the 1980s. After years of habitat protection, ecological restoration and continuous monitoring, its population has recovered to 7 groups of 44 individuals, making it the only gibbon population in the world that continues to grow.
"Behind this number is the long-term protection of a forest and a firm commitment to biodiversity protection." Zhang Jing said.
A good ecological environment can also become a resource for people to increase their income and achieve a positive interaction between protection and development. Zhang Jing introduced that in Wuzhishan City in central Hainan, the tropical rainforest has given birth to unique large-leaf tea. In recent years, the local area has combined traditional tea industry with technological innovation and rural tourism, turning a small piece of tea into a characteristic industry that increases people's income.
Zhang Jing said, "Ecological protection does not mean restricting development. The key is to find an industrial path that conforms to the laws of nature and can sustain development, so that the people can gain tangible benefits from protecting the ecology."
As an island province, the importance of the ocean to Hainan Province is self-evident. Coral reefs are not only important habitats for marine life, but also an important barrier to resist coastal erosion and maintain the balance of marine ecology.
Zhang Jing introduced that on Wuzhizhou Island in Sanya, the local area continues to carry out coral reef protection and restoration, and gradually restores the underwater ecosystem through measures such as building coral nurseries, transplanting corals, and placing artificial reefs.
Hainan’s green transformation does not stop there. Zhang Jing also introduced that Hainan continues to promote the transformation of its energy structure. As of the end of September 2026, the province's clean energy installed capacity will account for 88%, and a new power system with clean energy as the main body has been basically established; the market penetration rate and ownership ratio of new energy vehicles rank first and second respectively in the country's provincial regions.
From the gibbons in the tropical rainforest, to the big-leaf tea grown in the rainforest, to the coral reefs in the ocean and island tourism that is exploring low-carbon transformation, Zhang Jing said that these practices in Hainan have given us a deeper understanding that the construction of ecological civilization must not only protect the natural ecosystem, but also explore the development method of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
