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China will inject over 700 billion yuan (US$85 billion) into its
environmental protection projects during the 10th five-year plan
period (2001-2005).
This was disclosed Sunday afternoon by Xie Zhenhua, director of
the State Environmental Protection Administration, at the ongoing
2001 annual meeting of China Development Forum, which was opened
Sunday morning.
Xie noted that this amount of investment will account for about
1.3 percent of China's GDP (gross domestic product) in the same
period.
A total of 13 major projects have been listed among these projects
including pollution treatment along the east line of the south-north
water diversion project, clearing the water entering the Bohai Sea,
water pollution treatment in the Three Gorges area, and the construction
of waste water treatment plants in cities along Huaihe, Haihe and
Liaohe rivers, and the three major lakes of Taihu, Chaohu and Dianchi.
Xie said that by the end of 2005, China's total discharge of major
pollutants is expected to be 10 percent lower than 2000, with environmental
pollution eased to a certain extent.
The realization of this goal will depend on the Chinese government's
measures including industrial restructuring and the elimination
of energy-consuming and polluting industries, noted Xie.
Meanwhile, readjusting the urban industrial structure and layout,
popularizing scientific knowledge on environmental protection, and
improving the Chinese people's environmental awareness will also
help realize the goal, Xie added.
The theme of the two-day meeting, sponsored by the Development Research
Center of the State Council, is "The Role of Government in
a Rapidly Globalizing Economy."
Over 100 participants are attending the meeting, including officials
from relevant departments of the State Council, leaders of big domestic
companies and some transnational, representatives from international
and non-governmental organizations, and Chinese and overseas scholars.
(Xinhua 03/26)
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