White paper on environmental protection
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-05 10:26 Conclusion
The Chinese government and the Chinese people have made great efforts to
protect the environment. But the Chinese government is fully aware of the grave
situation of environmental protection in China, because the country is now at a
stage of accelerated industrialization and urbanization when the contradiction
between economic growth and environmental protection is particularly prominent.
In some regions environmental pollution and ecological deterioration are still
very serious. The discharge of major pollutants has surpassed the sustaining
capacity of the environment. Water, land and soil pollution is serious, and
pollution caused by solid wastes, motor vehicle emission and not easily
degradable organic matter is increasing. In the first 20 years of the new
century, China's population will keep growing, and its total economic volume
will quadruple that of 2000. As the demand on resources from economic and social
development is increasing, environmental protection is facing greater pressure
than ever before. Facing the mounting pressure on resources and the environment,
the Chinese government has set forth the idea of taking the scientific outlook
on development as the guiding principle for overall economic and social
development. It calls for China to quicken its pace of building a
resources-efficient, environmentally-friendly society, and to promote the
harmonious development of man and nature. The Chinese government has placed
resources saving and environmental protection in an important strategic position
as it works out the country's development goals.
To achieve this goal, the Chinese government will actively speed up "three
changes": First, change from emphasizing economic growth but ignoring
environmental protection to emphasizing both environmental protection and
economic growth; second, change from environmental protection lagging behind
economic growth to synchronizing environmental protection and economic growth;
and third, change from mainly employing administrative measures in environmental
protection to comprehensive use of legal, economic, technical and necessary
administrative measures to solve environmental problems. Economic, social and
cultural systems will be established featuring stable economic growth, minimal
cost to environmental resources and high awareness of the environment. As
regards spatial distribution, economic growth and the sustaining capacity of the
environment will be coordinated to form development patterns with their own
characteristics. The functions of different regions will be clearly defined
according to different requirements: whether it is a preferential development
region, a key development region, a limited development region or a region where
development is prohibited. Then different regions will work out their own
development directions and goals for environmental protection. The Chinese
government will make sure that the environment is effectively protected in the
course of development, and that protective measures will in turn promote
development. It will adhere to a policy of safe, clean and resources-efficient
development so as to realize a sustainable development.
To achieve this goal, the Chinese government will stick to the principle of
all-round development with breakthroughs in key areas. It will emphasize the
principle of prevention first, and control pollution in a comprehensive manner.
It will continue working to improve policies and legislation on environmental
protection, and strictly supervise their implementation. Management of the
environment will be strengthened according to law. Local governments' legal
obligations for environmental quality will be reinforced. Environmental access
will be tightened. Evaluation of the impact of planning and important decisions
on the environment will be strengthened, so that environmental pollution and
ecological destruction can be prevented right from the sources. It will make
greater efforts to control pollution of key drainage areas, rivers, cities and
offshore sea areas, and effectively improve the environmental quality there.
Financial input will be increased by improving the system of government,
enterprises and the general public investing in and financing environmental
protection. It will encourage people to participate in environmental protection,
and strengthen supervision by the people. China will establish an advanced
environmental monitoring and early-warning system, and a sound environmental law
enforcement and supervision system in an effort to enhance its early-warning
capability in case of environmental emergencies, and to improve its all-round
environmental supervision and management capabilities.
The importance of protecting the global environment has become the common
understanding of people all over the world. China is a big, responsible
developing country. Solving China's environmental problems is in keeping with
China's development goals. It will contribute to the wellbeing of the 1.3
billion Chinese people, and it is also an important manifestation of the shared
interest of mankind. The Chinese government and the Chinese people will join all
other governments and peoples in the world in protecting the Earth -- our
beautiful home.
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