BEIJING — Vice-Premier Han Zheng has stressed the importance of promoting the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, with efforts oriented toward a wide-ranging conservation strategy while avoiding large-scale development.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the group leading the promotion of the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, made the remarks while chairing a meeting of the group on Dec 23.

During the meeting, a video on ecological conservation problems along the belt was played and officials in charge of the issue from 11 provinces and municipalities made speeches.

Ecological conservation efforts along the Yangtze River Economic Belt have seen notable progress in recent years, Han said, and in the next step, they should direct efforts toward a wide-ranging conservation strategy while avoiding large-scale development in order to promote the high-quality development of the belt.

Han also stressed the importance of efforts to formulate an effective and operable territorial-space plan along the Yangtze River, implement water pollution control and water ecological restoration in the area, accelerate the function of the Yangtze River as the golden waterway, advance high-standard opening-up, and enhance the pace-setting role of the Yangtze River Delta.