“Clean water and lush mountains are priceless assets.” This philosophy for green development proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping is changing the country.

A growing number of migrating birds stop over on the Chaobai River in spring in recent years in the eastern city of Rizhao in Shandong province. [Photo:dzwww.com]

For the past 5 years, the world’s second largest economy has been trying to repair its environment, once contaminated due to unsustainable development.

The Chaobai River is one of the drinkable water sources of the eastern city of Rizhao in Shandong province. With its fresh air and forests nearby, a wetland park has been built alongside the river.

But several years ago it was a very different scene, with the river filled with rubbish and weeds.

The change came about, thanks to a river cleaning program conducted within the city last year, part of a government plan to carry out systematic ecological control of 61 major rivers over a period of 5 years.

One important step has been the establishment of a system of “river chiefs,” which requires officials at every level of government to take full responsibility for the protection of water resources in regions under their jurisdiction.

Wu Defeng is an official of Rizhao municipal government.

“The river system has been introduced since last year. Officials at the town level were appointed as river chiefs and those at the lower level take responsibility for the protection of different parts of the river. A concerted effort has been made in this way. The system is a good way to get all villagers involved in river protection.”

In December 2016, the central government released a document ordering the system to be established nationwide by the end of 2018.

The river chief system is just one of several major innovations in promoting green development proposed by the government since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012.

During his visit to the city of Nanning in Guangxi province in April, President Xi Jinping reiterated the importance of developing ecological civilization for the country’s overall development.

“Promoting eco-civilization is an important part of China’s overall plan to develop its economy, politics, culture, social progress and ecology. It is also the internal need of China’s modernization construction. The people’s well-being also relies on a beautiful environment. The concept of green development should be embedded in every step of social construction.”

After decades of rapid expansion that has brought smog and contaminated soil, China is swiftly and steadily shifting from GDP obsession to a philosophy of balanced growth.

Environment Minister, Li Ganjie, has vowed to spare no effort in tackling pollution.

“The battle can be divided into three aspects: the fight against air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution. We should strictly prevent and control pollution as well as punish those accountable for it. A strong effort should be made to improve the quality of air, water and soil.”

Last year, over 6,000 officials were held accountable for negligence or malpractice in promoting ecological progress.

China’s efforts to promote green development have earned global recognition. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) decided to promote China’s philosophy of ecological progress in February 2013 and released a report on China’s strategies and practices two years later.

From new energy vehicles to bike-sharing, low-carbon lifestyles have also become popular among Chinese people.

China seems well on its way to achieving a balance between man and nature.

As junior students in Chinese colleges take on summer internships, some unscrupulous businesses can’t wait to make deals – like selling them fake internship certificates online.

For many students, internships are part of their course work and are directly connected with school credits. In 2015, the Ministry of Education issued a notice requiring that internships should account for at least 30 percent of all credit hours. Schools typically ask students to take up internships for a few months to prepare for future careers.

But if the students don’t go along, there is an easy way out. For just 200 yuan ($30) or less, you can get whatever internship certificate you like online. The business is obviously illegal, but it exists nevertheless.

On e-commerce website Taobao, one can find many items by searching “internship certificate”. Most are labeled “internship reports” and “designing internship certificates for college students”. Some even tout “tailor-made” internship certificates “providing all necessary stamps of any company of your choice”.

Xinhua reporters spoke to “Yibaifen”, an agent whose details were on Taobao, and tried to buy an internship certificate. The agent later said via WeChat that a certificate would cost about 50 yuan.

“You can choose any type of company in any city,” the agent said. The agent then sent the stamp of a well-known Beijing-based IT company and claimed it was real because he “has connections”.

“I can give you a discount if you buy two,” the agent said.

On Taobao, one agent has sold more than 100 fake certificates in the past month, according to a Tianjin newspaper.

To make the fake certificates appear authentic, some agents even promise to take follow-up calls from schools.

On Tencent’s instant messaging service QQ, an agent said that he is “on call 24/7”.

“I put my own phone number on the certificates, so if your teachers call about your internship, I can handle them,” the agent said.

Another agent claimed to have an authentic stamp of a Beijing advertising company. He declined to say whether or not he is an employee of the company, but he did say he “cooperates” with the company, and pays some “commission” to it for each stamp he puts on certificates.

But the general manager of the company denied any knowledge of the scam, saying the company has strict procedures about using its stamp, and that the agent’s stamp must be fake.

Under China’s Criminal Law, fabricating the stamps of government organs and companies could be a crime. Despite potential punishment, however, the business thrives, partly because of demand from college students.

Xiao Mo, an undergraduate at a college in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, bought a fake internship certificate online. She said her college has “strict demands” with respect to its internship requirement, but she does not have time because she needs to prepare for graduate school.

“I really don’t have time for an internship,” she said. “Besides, my teachers probably won’t check the authenticity of the certificate, so it should be no problem.”

But a student surnamed Zhang from a Beijing college disagrees. Zhang, who has been working as an intern at a company the entire summer, said buying fake certificates is unacceptable.

“Internships are more about strengthening your ability than obtaining a piece of paper,” he said. “Buying fake certificates is unfair to the students who work hard.”

The phenomenon has fired up an angry discussion online.

“Internships are meant to prepare students for their future jobs, but buying fake certificates only damages their credibility,” read one comment.

“It is necessary to get tougher on the businesses, and colleges need to reevaluate their assessment methods for students,” said another.

Li Jiaxing, deputy head of the University of International Relations, said buying fake internship certificates is immoral.

“Colleges need to be credible,” Li said. “Anyone caught purchasing fake certificates should be regarded as cheating and be punished accordingly.”

Qu Wenyong of Heilongjiang University said providing fake internship certificates could be a violation of the law, and that the government should deal with the agents.

“E-commerce websites are also to blame for providing platforms for illegal businesses,” he said.