I'm Li Lin, a correspondent for the university newspaper.
The staff and students here are getting more and more interested in the relationship between the environment and economic development.
What do you think is the most serious environmental problem at present? What measures should we adopt to improve the environment and develop the economy at the same time?
Wang: There are many environmental problems: air pollution, water pollution, desertification, overfishing, destruction of natural habitats, acid rain, overconsumption of wild animals and plants, etc. But lying at the center of all those problems, as I see it, is the contradiction between economic growth and the environment.
Since the United Nations Earth Summit in 1992, growing number of people and governments have adopted the new idea of "sustainable development". This means today's economic growth should not wipe out the resources and options for future generations. Planning and development should ensure not only economic growth, but also social advancement and environmental health. In other words, some economic behavior must be restricted or controlled. Instilling principles of sustainable development into government planning, resource management and economic policy is the most important step China can take to solve its environmental problems.