Sustainable development is a must for China over the next two decades, according to a top United Nations official. 

Maurice Strong, under-secretary-general of the UN, said that sustainable development is the only way to lead China to prosperity in the coming decades.

He made the remarks during a televised address to a forum hosted by the State Environmental Protection Administration over the weekend.

Echoing Strong's opinion, State Environmental Protection Administration Minister Xie Zhenhua stressed in his speech that the next two decades will be a key period for the country to achieve the goal of establishing a comprehensive well-off society in China and sustainable development in terms of economy, society and the environment must be achieved for that purpose.

As a country having the largest population in the world, Strong said in an interview last week that China is facing the great challenge from the pressure caused by a lack of natural resources, which will influence the nation's economic development in the future.

Strong believed that the next 10 to 30 years will be the critical period for China to shift to a "green civilization" and "green development."

But Strong also expressed his optimism in the address to the forum that China will be successful in achieving sustainable development because of the promises being made by the central government and his confidence in the Chinese people.

"The growth of the economy as a whole is definitely putting pressure on the environment," Xie added.

China's economy witnessed a 9 percent annual growth over the last 20 years, and is set to double its gross domestic product (GDP) from 2000 by 2020.

But problems lie with the nation's extensive economic progress, as many experts believe that the current rapid economic growth is based on huge consumption of resources at ever-increasing environmental costs.

(China Daily May 31, 2004)