White paper on environmental protection
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-05 10:26 Full text:
Environmental Protection in China (1996-2005)
The Information Office of China's State Council on Monday issued a white
paper titled "Environmental Protection in China (1996-2005)." The following is
the full text of the document: Environmental Protection in China (1996-2005)
Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
Foreword
China is the most populous developing country in the world. Since the late
1970s, China's economy has developed rapidly and continuously. During the
process, many environmental problems that have haunted developed countries in
different phases of their 100-year-long industrialization have occurred in China
all at the same time. The conflict between environment and development is
becoming ever more prominent. Relative shortage of resources, a fragile
ecological environment and insufficient environmental capacity are becoming
critical problems hindering China's development. The Chinese government attaches
great importance to environmental protection. It believes that environmental
protection will have a direct impact on the overall situation of China's
modernization drive and its long-term development, and considers environmental
protection an undertaking that will not only benefit the Chinese people of today
but also their children and grandchildren. Years ago, the Chinese government
established environmental protection as a basic national policy and sustainable
development as an important strategy, and has adhered to the road of a new type
of industrialization. While promoting economic growth, it has adopted a whole
array of measures to strengthen environmental protection. Especially in recent
years, the Chinese government, with the scientific outlook of development as the
guiding principle of environmental protection, has adhered to focusing on
preventive measures, comprehensive control and overall progress with
breakthroughs at some key points, and worked hard to solve conspicuous
environmental problems threatening people's health. At the same time, it has
continued its efforts for institutional innovation, relied on scientific and
technological advances, strengthened the legal system of environmental
protection, and brought into full play the initiative of people of all walks of
life. Thanks to these efforts, although the amount of resource consumption and
pollutants is increasing greatly, the trend toward aggravated environmental
pollution and ecological destruction is slowing down; especially, environmental
pollution control in some river valleys has seen some positive results, the
environmental quality of some cities and regions has improved, the amount of
pollutant emission of industrial products has declined, and the people's
awareness of the importance of environmental protection has enhanced. As World
Environment Day nears, in order to let people in other countries have a better
understanding about the situation of environmental protection in China, we would
like to give a systematic introduction to the unremitting efforts made by China
in environmental protection over the past ten years.
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