In the morning of May 18, 2013, the second Annual Conference of the World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China) opened in Hangzhou. Yu Zhengsheng, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech under the title of Strengthening International Cooperation and Promoting a Conservation Culture.

Yu Zhengsheng welcomed participating guests and congratulated on the convening of the Conference on behalf of the Chinese government. He said that in today's world, the challenges of such global resources and environment issues as the climate change, energy resources security and biodiversity protection become more and more severe, and green development and circular economy increasingly become an important trend of the world development. The problem of what kind of a globe is to be left to our descendents is a significant subject of common concern for various peoples of the world. It is of great significance that this forum has made it as its theme "Strengthening International Cooperation and Promoting a Conservation Culture."

Yu Zhengsheng raised four proposals: Firstly, set up the conservation culture concept of respect for nature and conservation of nature. Secondly, intensify the efforts of environmental protection and ecological construction. Thirdly, build a pattern of the whole society's participation in the ecological civilization construction. Fourth, construct a global partnership of ecological civilization construction.

Yu Zhengsheng pointed out that the Chinese government has always attached great importance to resources conservation and environmental protection, energetically explored a road to the ecological civilization development of its own characteristics and made outstanding achievements. However, we are also aware that there are still many problems in the economic development and environmental protection of China, some of which are rather severe, such as the increasing number of water contamination accidents, aggravating air pollution and obvious environmental pollution in many regions.

Yu Zhengsheng expressed that the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China for the first time included the ecological civilization construction into the general layout of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and put forward the overall requirements of pressing forward ecological civilization construction, building a beautiful China and realizing the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. We will adhere to the basic state policy of resources conservation and environmental protection, put forth efforts to boost green development, cyclic development and low-carbon development, so as to create a favourable production and living environment for the people and make contributions to the global ecological security.

Yu Zhengsheng stressed that the ecological civilization construction of China is open, inclusive and win-win. The Chinese government consistently supports international ecological environment cooperation, takes an active part in such global conferences as the related global climate negotiation and international environment development, and forms an institutionalized cooperative mechanism with developed countries on such areas as environmental protection, climate change and energy resources at the same time with advancing South-North cooperation.

Yu Zhengsheng expressed that we will earnestly fulfill the international environment conventions and assume our due international obligations based on the common but differentiated responsibility principle, principle of justice and principle of respective capabilities. We welcome governments, international organizations and entrepreneurs of various countries in the world to participate in China's ecological environment construction. We are willing to go hand in hand with the international community and make arduous efforts to build an ecologically favourable home earth.

President Guebuza of Mozambique, Governor General Lake Tark of Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Samaras of Greece and Secretary Xia Baolong of the Provincial Committee of the CPC of Zhejiang Province respectively addressed the opening ceremony.

Before the opening ceremony, Yu Zhengsheng met with the former Prime Minister Lubbers of the Netherlands, Princess Irene of the Netherlands as well as some distinguished guests coming for the forum.

Founded in 2008, World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China) makes as its tenet strengthening cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. It cordially invites celebrities from various countries of the world to discuss together the major programs of dialogue and cooperation between different civilizations and co-build a harmonious culture and a harmonious world. More than 500 persons including politicians, specialists and scholars of the related countries as well as representatives from China attended the Annual Conference.