The international community has spoken highly of China's move to give ecological progress a more prominent position.

The goal was incorporated into the overall development plan during the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which ended here on Wednesday.

Niranjan Deva-Aditya, chairman of the EU-China Friendship Association, said China had lifted its people from poverty with the theoretical guidance of a scientific outlook on development.

China was taking a great step forward in terms of ecology, he said, adding it was an exceptional move to encapsulate an ecological outlook in the Party constitution.

Babara Finamore, founder and director of the China Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the CPC's move to incorporate ecological civilization into the country's overall development was of the utmost importance to ensuring China's continued progress, improving the quality of life of its citizens, and protecting global environmental safety.

Finamore said China had made tremendous progress over the past two decades in advancing green development, becoming a world leader in energy efficiency and clean energy.

John Cobb, Jr., a U.S. ecological economist, said, "I am convinced that China will greatly benefit from any steps that it takes in the direction of ecological civilization and this will also contribute to the whole world."

He said China would be providing a global leadership that is urgently needed.

Geng Xin, deputy director of the Japan-China cooperative New Japan Research Institute, said greatly pushing forward ecological civilization construction, as pledged at the CPC congress, well expressed the CPC's principle of "serving the people wholeheartedly" and the Chinese government's idea of "rule on the basis of humanity."

Pushing forward ecological civilization construction was a timely step adopted by the CPC and the Chinese government to cope with the increasing environmental and ecological pressure, he said.

He described China's efforts in achieving ecological progress as a vigorous exploration, trying to transform the country's pursuit for economic efficiency to quality of life.

China's moves would make it a world leader in protecting the earth and ushering in a new era of ecological civilization.