East China's Zhejiang Province has promised to achieve sustainable development through a series of ecologically friendly projects over the next two decades.

Environmental experts have praised the province's Blueprint on Building An Eco-friendly Zhejiang, which was approved by an expert panel organized by the State Environmental Protection Administration on Tuesday in Beijing.

Zhejiang is expected to build five sustainable development processes - an ecologically friendly economic system, a natural resource protection system, a healthy ecological tourism system, a sustainable population system and a high-tech supervision system - over the next 20 years.

By the end of 2020, the province will have launched 10 major environmentally friendly projects, including an eco-industry and clean production scheme, and eco-agriculture and modern rural area construction project.

The province's sustainable growth lies in the successful link between environmental, economic and social needs, Zhejiang Governor Lu Zushan said during the panel meeting.

"Building an ecological province is our major task at present and achieving sustainable development has been our long-term goal," Lu said.

The province's environmental protection effort has yielded satisfying results over the past years, thanks to the full use of its climate advantage and relatively high forest and grass coverage, said Bian Yousheng, chief engineer of the Beijing Research Institute of Environmental Protection.

"The province's ecological development blueprint has made good attempts to involve all people in the sustainable development drive," Bian said.

(China Daily March 21, 2003)