As I set foot in the vast and beautiful land of the Northwest Territories in February, I felt the sincerity, kindness, warmth and hospitality of the local people.
Ice fields, auroras, tundra — the landscapes are strikingly wild and magnificent, giving me a strong sense of the harmony between man and nature. Yellowknife, the capital city of the Northwest Territories, is blessed with spectacular views of aurora borealis. Under the starry night skies, one can always see the magical displays of the aurora borealis lighting up the sky.
The intense cold has not dampened local people’s united spirit and enthusiasm for accomplishments. With abundant natural resources such as minerals, forestry, and tourist sites development, they are relying on their own diligence and wisdom to diversify the economy while seeking sustainable growth. This resonates with China’s philosophy of sustainable development.
Standing in Yellowknife, I couldn’t help but think of a similar Chinese city on the other side of the world, the “Ice City” Harbin, the northernmost provincial capital of China. During the recently concluded Chinese New Year holidays, the city received a total of 10 million tourist visits. This is a telling example of the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and ice and snow are also invaluable assets. Friends from all walks of life in Canada, including the Northwest Territories, are welcome to experience China’s unique ice and snow culture. I believe there will be an increasing number of Chinese tourists coming to the Northwest Territories to enjoy the splendor of its natural beauty.
The beauty of nature is beyond doubt, but to preserve such beauty takes arduous efforts. In recent years, the world has suffered from biodiversity loss, worsening desertification and frequent extreme weather disasters. If no proper protection measures are taken, the natural beauty will eventually disappear from the pages of history. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, the international community, faced with unprecedented challenges in global environmental governance, needs to come up with unprecedented ambition and action. We need to act with a sense of responsibility and unity, and work together to foster a community of life for man and nature.
When the aurora borealis illuminates the night sky of the Northwest Territories, the sun rises in China on the other side of the vast Pacific Ocean. Despite the different customs, cultures and social systems, our two countries share the same destiny under the same starry sky. The Earth is our shared home, we should follow the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, and pitch in to tackle climate and other environmental challenges to protect our blue planet.
—Cong Peiwu is the director of the Foreign Ministry North American and Oceanian Affairs Department of the People’s Republic of China. He has been the Chinese ambassador to Canada since 2019.