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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, January 13, 2002

China Sets Five-Year Plan for Environmental Protection

China plans to mitigate the danger of pollution, curb deterioration of the ecological environment, and enable urban and rural residents to live in a cleaner world in the coming years.


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China plans to mitigate the danger of pollution, curb deterioration of the ecological environment, and enable urban and rural residents to live in a cleaner world in the coming years.

By implementing a five-year national plan for environmental protection, China will also be able to achieve sustainable development in the process of economic construction, according to environment officials.

The plan, which was just approved by the State Council for implementation nationwide, detailed goals of pollution control, indices for evaluation of the work, and policies and measures to guarantee the implementation.

By 2005, the total amount of major wastes that pollute air, water and soil, including sulfur dioxide, industrial dust and solid wastes, will be cut by 10 percent from the level of 2000.

"Never has the Chinese government put the environment issue in such an important position. It is vital to stability and prosperity of our country and people," said Xie Zhenhua, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

Major focuses of pollution control work will be air and water pollution, and some heavily-polluted rivers, lakes, and seas, according to the plan.

The SEPA will also pay special attention to pollution control in the Three Gorges Dam project on the Yangtze River, and a massive project to divert river water in the south to the north.

All projects of pollution treatment and protection of biological environment in the plan may cost a record 700 billion yuan (84 billion U.S. dollars) -- nearly double the spending on pollution control projects in the 1996-2000 period.

Xie Zhenhua said the central government has promised to inject 65 billion yuan to initiate key projects, and local governments and enterprises that discharge pollutants will be responsible for the majority of the investment.

More than half the total investment will be spent on facilitiesof environmental protection in cities, comprehensive treatment of the environment along major rivers, and protection of the ecological environment.

Environmental protection authorities are to collect fees from pollution-producing enterprises and use the funds for pollution treatment, Xie said.




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