Original Title: “Advancing Chinese-style modernization must take water resource issues into account” (The People’s Sentiments of the General Secretary)

The fate of water is tied to the fate of the nation. On the new journey of advancing Chinese-style modernization, General Secretary Xi Jinping has deeply considered global, national, and water conditions, making the important judgment: “Advancing Chinese-style modernization must take water resource issues into account.”

Entering the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, a blueprint for water management is unfolding—strengthening the national water network, enhancing flood disaster defense, water resource coordinated allocation, and urban and rural water supply security capabilities.

At this new historical coordinate, how can water management in the new era integrate into the grand journey of Chinese-style modernization, deeply practicing Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought?

Water management in the new era embodies the logic of practical action.

In July 2025, the hydropower project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, planned and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping, officially commenced. “I have been following this matter.” From long canals crisscrossing to towering dams, building the national water network step by step, “another century-spanning picture in the history of water management” is gradually unfolding.

From the diagnosis that “the Yangtze River is sick” to the statement that “the Yangtze River now can only be said to be ‘just recovering from a serious illness’,” General Secretary Xi Jinping earnestly advised: “We cannot grasp it for a while and then slacken; once there is a slight improvement, we must not entertain wrong ideas again.”

“Coming here today, I have visited the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and I feel more at ease.” Regarding the management of the “weak and sickly” Yellow River, General Secretary Xi Jinping has long-term concerns: “We must think in terms of centuries and millennia, not be hasty, and not be careless.”

The footsteps crossing mountains and waters and treading through mud condense profound reflections on water management and national governance. Each piece of water management is placed within the grand framework of national governance. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s water management philosophy of “prioritizing water conservation, spatial balance, systematic governance, and dual efforts from government and market” provides fundamental guidance for water management in the new era.

“Chinese-style modernization has goals, plans, and strategies.” A drop of water reflects strategy and action, goals and deeds. The national “river strategy” is being deeply implemented, with 1.2 million river and lake chiefs fulfilling their duties, and flood control and drought relief command agencies for the seven major river basins all established. Since the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, China’s water development has continuously reached new levels.

Water management in the new era surges with the momentum of high-quality development.

“The greatness of China’s modernization lies in its difficulty; we cannot follow the old path,” General Secretary Xi Jinping thoughtfully considered.

In this old path that cannot be followed, there is the challenge that “China’s water resource endowment is inherently insufficient, and the development and utilization methods are not very reasonable.” General Secretary Xi Jinping warned: “We cannot have construction on one hand and waste on the other, increase on one hand and consume on the other, ending up in a bottomless pit.”

The view on water use is linked to the view on development. From calling for “making water conservation a conscious action for every unit, every family, and every individual,” to emphasizing that “urban development must adhere to the principle of determining the city, land, population, and industry by water availability,” and to instructing to “actively develop water-saving, high-value-added planting and breeding industries,” from cities to villages, from points to surfaces, this embodies the pursuit of “accelerating the green transformation of development models.”

Behind the view on development lies the view on performance. Water conservation is connected to fields, homes, underground, and micro-circles, reflecting the achievement of “long-term real” latent accomplishments. The General Secretary emphasized: “If we can effectively reduce the leakage rate of urban tap water pipe networks and improve the effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation, the effect is no less than building major projects like the Three Gorges Reservoir or the South-to-North Water Diversion.”

High-quality development “concerns the overall situation of China’s socialist modernization.” From a drop of water to see the quality of development, during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, while China’s economic aggregate crossed major thresholds and grain output achieved consecutive bumper harvests, total water use realized “zero growth.”</p

Yarlung Zangbo River

The Yarlung Zangbo River, located in Tibet, is the highest major river in the world, flowing eastward through the Himalayan region. It originates from the Angsi Glacier and later becomes the Brahmaputra River in India, playing a vital role in the region’s geography and culture. Historically, the river valley has been a cradle of Tibetan civilization, with ancient kingdoms and monasteries along its banks.

Yangtze River

The Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia and third-longest in the world, has been a cradle of Chinese civilization for thousands of years, supporting agriculture, trade, and cultural development along its 6,300-kilometer course. Historically, it served as a natural boundary between northern and southern China and was the site of pivotal events such as the Battle of Red Cliffs and the rise of ancient kingdoms. Today, it remains a vital economic artery, home to the Three Gorges Dam and major cities like Shanghai and Chongqing.

Yellow River

The Yellow River, known as the “Mother River” of China, is the second-longest river in the country and is often considered the cradle of Chinese civilization. Its basin has been central to the development of ancient Chinese society, with early dynasties like the Xia, Shang, and Zhou flourishing along its banks. However, its history is also marked by devastating floods, leading to centuries of efforts to control its course through levees and canals.

Three Gorges Reservoir

The Three Gorges Reservoir is a massive man-made lake created by the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China, completed in 2003. Its construction, part of the world’s largest hydroelectric project, required the relocation of over a million people and submerged numerous ancient towns and archaeological sites. The reservoir spans roughly 660 kilometers, serving crucial roles in flood control, power generation, and navigation, while also sparking significant environmental and cultural debates.

South-to-North Water Diversion

The South-to-North Water Diversion is a massive infrastructure project in China designed to transfer water from the water-rich Yangtze River basin in the south to the drier northern regions, including Beijing and Tianjin. Conceived as early as the 1950s and officially launched in 2002, it is one of the largest water diversion projects in the world, consisting of three major routes. The project aims to address severe water shortages and support economic development in the north, with the eastern and middle routes becoming operational in 2013 and 2014, respectively.