Zhou Jianping, vice-leader of the Beijing World Horticultural Expo Coordination Bureau and also a member of the 13th National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, is being interviewed in Beijing on March 6, 2018. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/chinadaily.com.cn]

China's critical battle against pollution relies not only on rule of law, but also on rule of virtue, Zhou Jianping, a member of the 13th National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) said on Tuesday in Beijing.

Zhou, also vice-leader of the Beijing World Horticultural Expo Coordination Bureau, said that the Chinese government has already put in place the strictest regulations. What is important next in addressing pollution would rely on what individuals do.

He said that nowadays, children spend too little time in nature and that he did hope parents would let their children play more in the natural world so that they would gradually pay more attention to nature, treasure plants and animals, and protect nature as they protect their own eyes.

"Nature-related education seems to be a silent process, but it has far-reaching effects," Zhou said.

"If it could occur to a company executive that discharging pollutants without being noticed is a behavior that isn't virtuous, he might have stopped," he said.

"He might have realized that what his company gained never matches what costs are to nature.

Zhou said that the Beijing Expo 2019 will help serve as an educational base for ecological civilization to let more people know about nature, to love nature and then to respect and protect nature.