A view of Wuxi. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxifabu2013]
Erik Solheim, a former undersecretary-general of the United Nations, recently praised the development of Wuxi in East China's Jiangsu province on the city's social media platform.
The 67-year-old Norwegian explained his history with Wuxi, saying that back in 1984, Wuxi was the first Chinese city he visited outside Beijing.
Solheim added that it has been such a fantastic ride in the decades since, making Wuxi one of the most developed cities in China and a model city for the world.
He also expressed willingness to share good news from the city.
Solheim is a senior consultant of the World Resources Institute and president of the Belt and Road Initiative Green Development Institute. He has been focusing on the global environment and development.
He also received the "Champions of the Earth" award, the United Nations highest environmental honor, for his remarkable achievements in climate and environmental protection.
Birds fly over Taihu Lake in Wuxi, where more than 235 bird species can be found. [Photo/WeChat account: news-wuxixinwen]
It is Wuxi's eco-friendly development and healthy natural environment that attracted Solheim.
The city has been taking measures to phase out its outdated production capacity and the ratio of days with good air quality in the city increased from 56.9 percent in 2013 to 82.2 percent in 2021, making it one of the first cities in Jiangsu to satisfy class two of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.
The social media platforms of Wuxi have become an important way to promote the city, and they currently have nearly 1.1 million followers from 45 countries and regions.