Zou Xiang: Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has traveled to 9 provinces and regions along the Yellow River, and presided over three symposiums in the upstream, midstream, and downstream to deploy ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. Not long ago in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of "working together to sing the 'Yellow River Cantata' of the new era. Singing a good chorus requires cross regional collaboration. How to understand and promote collaboration? Li Yueyue: Collaboration means having the same goal and working in the same direction. Lu Yu's "gambling" is quite representative. In 2021, the two regions signed the first horizontal ecological protection compensation agreement in the Yellow River Basin. The agreement stipulates that Shandong will provide Henan with a compensation fund of 60 million yuan for each improvement in water quality category, based on the annual average water quality of the monitoring section being Class III. As an ecological beneficiary, Shandong has fulfilled an ecological compensation fund of 126 million yuan to Henan. At the end of 2023, the two regions will renew their contracts again, which will provide stronger guarantees for the steady improvement of water quality in the Yellow River Basin. He Shanshan: Collaborative cooperation requires mechanism guarantee. The mechanism is in place, and even distant water can quench nearby thirst. At the end of 2023, the Management Committee of Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base in Ningxia signed an agreement with the Water Affairs Bureau of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. The former purchased 15 million cubic meters of Yellow River water rights in Sichuan Province for a price of 18 million yuan, marking the first cross provincial water rights transaction in the Yellow River Basin. Cross provincial water rights trading not only solves the problem of water scarcity for "water deficient" people, but also allows "water-saving" people to obtain tangible benefits, paving the way for the use of market mechanisms to solve water resource bottlenecks and achieve optimized and efficient allocation of water resources on a larger scale. Su Tongmin: Collaborative cooperation is not a one-time deal, but a long-term effort. As one of the seven backbone projects of the Yellow River main stream identified in the Outline of the Yellow River Governance and Development Plan, the Guxian Water Conservancy Hub dam site spans across Jixian County in Shanxi Province and Yichuan County in Shaanxi Province. Over the years, from project proposals to feasibility studies, from preliminary engineering design to formal construction phase, the water conservancy departments of Qin and Jin provinces have worked together closely, drawing a blueprint to the end, and steadily advancing the project. Zou Xiang: Looking deeper, collaboration is not only about regional cooperation and linkage, but also means balancing protection and development. To govern the Yellow River, it is not only necessary to achieve high-level protection, but also to promote high-quality development along the Yellow River with great protection. Cross regional cooperation is a spatial extension, while promoting synergy between protection and development is an inward exploration that requires reform as the driving force to open up a channel between good ecology and strong economy. He Shanshan: Protection and development are not "either or". Protecting and managing the Yellow River itself is an essential part of high-quality development. Yinhe Village in Huinong District, Shizuishan City, Ningxia, experienced severe desertification at one point. With the strengthening of wetland protection and restoration, and the promotion of "returning farmland to wetlands" governance in Ningxia, Yinhe Village has gradually returned 10000 acres of riverbank land, and developed creative rural tourism, characteristic homestays, etc. on the basis of restoring a good ecology. In 2023, it will receive more than 300000 tourists and the village collective income will reach more than 1 million yuan, successfully selected as a "National Key Village for Rural Tourism". Nowadays, more and more "Galactic Villages" are emerging on both sides of the Yellow River. Only by cultivating a strong ecological foundation can there be high-quality development, high-quality living, and efficient governance. Su Tongmin: The "green content" of ecological elements is the "gold content" that supports high-quality development. The Xuezhang small watershed located in Baota District, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province, had a soil erosion area of 12.26 square kilometers at one point. Through the implementation of water conservation projects, the comprehensive control of soil erosion in the watershed has reached 75%, and the vegetation coverage has been restored to over 65%. Not long ago, the carbon sequestration transaction for the Xuezhang small watershed soil and water conservation project in Yan'an City was officially signed. The transformation from yellow to green on the Loess Plateau and from turbid to clear on the Yellow River reflects the changes in ecological development. Li Yueyue: The Yellow River region in Shandong Province is rich in coal, oil and other resources, with a significant proportion of traditional production capacity in chemical, refining, non-ferrous metals and other industries. To navigate through the deep waters of transformation and upgrading, one must have the determination to sacrifice one's life. For example, Jinan Iron and Steel Group, which is seeking another "main business", has completely shut down its steel production lines and searched for breakthroughs in new fields such as satellite assembly, rocket manufacturing, and low altitude economy, accelerating the transformation from "earth" to "sky". Another example is that in June this year, the first phase of Laizhou large-scale saline alkali mudflat optical storage integration project was officially connected to the power grid. This indicates that high-quality development and high-level protection are complementary and mutually reinforcing, and as long as the right path is found, the synergy between the two can be achieved. Zou Xiang: Collaboration does not require uniformity, but rather based on one's own resource endowment and development positioning in the Yellow River Basin, forging strengths, addressing weaknesses, and leveraging advantages. Only in this way can we achieve collaborative development, differentiated development, and linked development, producing a "1+1 GT; 2" overall effect. Su Tongmin: Water veins are connected to cultural context. Protecting and promoting the Yellow River culture, inheriting the historical context and ethnic roots, requires not only strengthening the overall and systematic protection of cultural and natural heritage, but also doing a good job in promoting cultural benefits for the people. For example, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, integrates water environment, water ecology, water resources, water security, and water culture, and integrates cultural elements such as Yangshao culture, Zhou ritual culture, and Qin Opera Opera culture into the construction of multiple cultural and ecological parks along the Weihe River. From an ecological river to a cultural river, the Wei River not only better integrates into urban development, but also increasingly becomes a cultural "living water" that nourishes people's beautiful lives. He Shanshan: Drifting on an ancient sheepskin raft by the Yellow River, staying at the Star Hotel in the desert, and surfing on the undulating sand dunes... During the just passed National Day holiday, the Shapotou tourist attraction in Zhongwei City, Ningxia was crowded with people. The continuous sand dunes, magnificent Yellow River, and dazzling starry sky, these unique customs attract tourists and also make the "money bags" of the surrounding people bulge. In addition, the Shapotou drought apple with a planting area of 79000 mu and an expected comprehensive output value of about 600 million yuan this year has also become the "golden calling card" of the local characteristic industry. It can be seen that only by continuing to follow the path of characteristic and differentiated development, and putting in sufficient effort in the embroidery of industries for the people, can more people along the Yellow River benefit and enjoy happiness. Li Yueyue: A good ecological environment is the most universal welfare for people's livelihoods. The Chinese Yellow Sea (Bohai Sea) Migratory Bird Habitat (Phase II), including the Yellow River estuary in Dongying, Shandong Province, has been successfully included in the The World Heritage List. The number of birds in the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve has increased from 187 to 373. Residents' vision of "seeing green through the window, going out to the park" has become a reality. The green butterfly change at the Yellow River estuary has unfolded a picture of ecological benefits for people and harmonious coexistence between people and nature. Year by year promotion and implementation, working together to sing the "Yellow River Cantata" of the new era, the beautiful Yellow River today will be even more beautiful in the future. (New Society)