NE Province to Invest Heavily in Ecological Protection

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, February 17, 2002

NE Province to Invest Heavily in Ecological Protection

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Northeast China's Jilin Province, one of the country's foremost industrial bases, plans to spend more than 780 billion yuan (93.97 billion U.S. dollars) to improve its ecological environment over the next 30 years.

The plan is also aimed at achieving sustainable use of local resources, sources said.

This year alone, the province will kick off 60 ecological protection programs, with a combined investment of 38.55 billion yuan (4.64 billion U.S. dollars).

Jilin is also one of the leading grain production bases in China, with its annual grain output, commodity grain and per capita grain quota all ranking first nationwide.

The provincial capital Changchun, called the "automobile city," plays an important role in manufacturing automobiles, passenger trains and tractors.

Governor Hong Hu, a vocal supporter of the province's ecological improvement program, said Jilin's forest coverage rate currently is more than 40 percent, and the total acreage of its 28 nature reserves accounts for some 10 percent of the province's land space.

As part of the province's plan, priority will be given to the development of pollution-free auto and chemical industries, new and high technologies, and clean energy.

While achieving rapid economic development in recent years, China has also attached great importance to the improvement of its environment and ecology. Ecological protection is a much-emphasized topic in the reports of Chinese officials at all levels.

Like Jilin, Hainan, Heilongjiang and other provinces also have ambitious plans for ecological construction.

Statistics show that last year, Jilin started construction of 56 ecology-friendly programs, involving a total investment of 9.852 billion yuan (1.18 billion U.S. dollars).

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