Photo taken on Jan. 1, 2021 shows the Three Gorges Dam in central China's Hubei Province. (Photo by Xiang Hongmei/Xinhua)

GREEN DEVELOPMENT

Practices undertaken by China have shown that development and environmental protection are not contradictory but complementary.

The Yangtze River Economic Belt generated 46.6 percent of the country's GDP in the first three quarters of 2020.

In terms of innovation, the country has promoted the development of national strategic emerging industrial clusters and advanced manufacturing clusters, as well as the transformation and upgrading of heavy chemical industries along the Yangtze River, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

More support will be offered for Wuhan, the island of Chongming in Shanghai, and Guangyang Isle in Chongqing to demonstrate green development, said the NDRC.

Three "poles of economic growth" have been formed along the river: the delta, city clusters along the central course, and the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone, located in the upper reaches.

The Yangtze River is China's most vital domestic waterway, but it also has global importance. It is one of the busiest inland rivers for freight traffic worldwide, with the total goods trade of 11 provincial-level regions along the river hitting 12.7 trillion yuan (about 1.96 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first 11 months of last year, official data shows.

Authorities have vowed to continue improving the river's traffic capacity, promote innovation and industrial upgrading, boost urbanization, advance opening up, and establish a modern market economy.