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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 11, 2002

Premier Zhu Warns of Tough Task Ahead in Environmental Protection

China will face a tough task in environmental protection in the coming years as the country embraces urban development and a growing population, Premier Zhu Rongji warned. He stressed that China must place more attention to environmental protection during the pursuit of fast and sustainable economic growth.


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Premier Zhu Warns of Tough Task Ahead in Environmental Protection
Zhu was speaking at a recent national teleconference on the implementation of the government's environmental protection plan for the 10th five-year plan period (2001-2005).

Environmental deterioration initially curbed
According to Zhu, China spent an impressive 360 billion yuan ( about 43.5 billion U.S. dollars) on environmental protection during the ninth five-year plan period between 1996 and 2000.

As a result, the trend in environmental deterioration has been initially curbed in China as a whole, and the environment in some areas has been improving, the premier said. But he admitted that in other areas, environmental pollution has gone from bad to worse.

Zhu urges more efforts in environmental protection
Zhu stressed that governments at all levels must play a major role in environmental protection while all environmental protection authorities must improve their performance and not be lax in law enforcement.

Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration Xie Zhenhua, minister in charge of the State Economic and Trade Commission Li Rongrong and other senior officials also spoke at the conference.

'10th Five-year Plan' for national environmental protection
China's State Council has formally approved the "10th Five-year Plan" for National Environmental Protection. The Plan includes the following main contents:

  • Grasp the pollution-control work in the valley of the "three rivers and lakes" (the Huaihe, Haihe and Liaohe rivers and Taihu, Dianchi and Chaohu lakes)


  • Control areas of pollution by acid rain and sulfur dioxide, as well as in the Bohai Sea area and Beijing Municipality, come to firm grips with the water pollution in the Three Gorges areas and the regions along the South-to-North Water Diversion Project


  • Further intensify efforts to prevent and control pollution to the macro-environment, speed up the elimination of backward production technology and equipment


  • Shut down enterprises causing heavy pollution within a specified time, with the emphasis placed on comprehensively preventing pollution to water and atmosphere, and pollution caused by garbage and noise in key cities


  • Earnestly strengthen ecological construction and protection and curb artificial damages.




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