China will invest 175 billion yuan (27.5 billion U.S. dollars) from 2011 to 2015 to ensure the quality of drinking water in rural areas, a vice minister of water resources said Friday.

Li Guoying, the vice minister, made the remarks at the bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee that runs from Tuesday to Saturday.

The investment will be supported by both central and local finance channels as well as the farmers who stand to benefit from the policy, Li said, adding that 68 percent of the total investment, or 118.8 billion yuan, will be provided by the central government.