Why does China consistently achieve remarkable developments time and again? According to Asit K. Biswas, a distinguished international expert in water resources with over 40 years of experience observing China, long-term commitment stands out as an important factor in this enduring success story.

In 1980, Biswas, now a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom and director of Water Management International in Singapore, made his first visit to China to evaluate the South-to-North Water Transfer Project.

Initially he was skeptical about its prospects. As one of China’s largest infrastructure investments, the South-to-North Water Transfer Project was estimated to take 30 to 40 years to complete and would require substantial annual financial support.

What deeply impressed Biswas was the Chinese government’s consistent, unwavering, high-level support for the project. This steadfast commitment bolsters his confidence in China’s goals to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

“With my nearly 45 years of experience looking at China, when the Chinese leadership makes a commitment, most overwhelming majority of the time, they exceed that commitment,” he said.

For the global good, Biswas said leaders from other countries can emulate China’s example by making similar long-term commitments to carbon emission reduction. He said that if countries worldwide took their environmental commitments as seriously and determinedly as China does, the world would be a much better place.