China has shown a strong and sustained commitment to environmental protection, with more than one-third of investments under the 4-trillion-yuan stimulus package unveiled last year by the government going towards green projects, a leading international research institution has found.

The Washington-based World Resources Institute has found that 38 percent of the country's stimulus package resources are "directly or indirectly" linked to green industries and environmental protection. The institute's findings, revealed at a roundtable organized by the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, have shown that China is one of the few countries in the world with such a strong commitment towards environmental protection.

However, officials and researchers alike expressed concern over whether local governments would be able to effectively turn these plans into reality.