Zhu Guangyao, deputy head of the State Environmental Protection Administration, explains the white paper at the press conference organized by the State Council Information Office in Beijing June 5, 2006. [ciic]

The campaigns have dealt with over 75,000 environmental law violation cases, and had 16,000 enterprises closed down for having discharged pollutants in violation of the law. More than 10,000 warnings have been issued to environment polluters, obliging them to remedy the problems under government supervision.

In 1998, the Chinese government changed the name of the State Environmental Protection Bureau to the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), and elevated it to the ministerial level, says the paper.

There are now 3,226 environmental protection administration departments at different levels all over China, with 167,000 people engaging in environmental administration, monitoring, scientific research, publicity and education. There are 3,854 environmental supervision and environmental law enforcement organs with more than 50,000 staff members.

The white paper stresses that prevention and control of industrial pollution is the focal point of China's environmental protection endeavors.

Statistics show that the amount of industrial waste water, oxygen for industrial chemicals, industrial sulfur dioxide, industrial smoke and industrial dust discharged in generating one unit of GDP in China in 2004 dropped by 58 percent, 72 percent, 42percent, 55 percent and 39 percent, respectively, from 1995. Energy consumption per 10,000 yuan (1,250 U.S. dollar)-worth of GDP in 2004 declined by 45 percent from 1990.

Compared with 1996, in 2005 the proportion of cities with air quality reaching Grade II of the state standard increased by 31 percentage points, while that of cities with air quality lower than Grade III decreased by 39 percentage points.

In recent years, China has completed more than 800,000 rural drinking water projects, solving difficulties and insecurity in this regard for 67 million rural residents.

The white paper says that the eco-environment in some parts of China has begun to improve after a long period of unswerving efforts.

According to its statistics, the total newly afforested area has reached over 6.67 million hectares every year since 2002. At present, the national forest acreage is 175 million hectares, the forest cover 18.21 percent.

By the end of 2005, there were 2,349 nature reserves of various kinds and levels in China, covering 1.5 million square km and taking up about 15 percent of the country's land territory, the paper says.

The last decade has seen the largest increase ever in China's investment in its environmental protection. A pluralistic financing system based on government support has taken initial shape after years of efforts.

Between 1996 and 2004, China's investment into environmental pollution control reached 952.27 billion yuan (119 billions U.S. dollars), amounting to one percent of that period's GDP. In 2006, expenditure on environmental protection has been formally itemized in the State's financial budget, the white paper says.

The paper highlights environmental impact assessment (EIA) as a legal measure to curb environmental pollution and ecological destruction at the source.

China attaches great importance to and consistently seeks to enhance the support capability of science and technology for environmental protection, actively promotes the industrialization of environmental protection, the paper says.

By the end of 2004, China had 11,623 enterprises, each with an annual sales income of more than 2 million yuan (250,000 U.S. dollars), engaged in environmental protection businesses, employing a total of 1.595 million workers.

The white paper notes that the Chinese government has endeavored to boost public participation in environmental protection. There are now more than 1,000 non-governmental environmental organizations in China.

So far, China has acceded to more than 50 international conventions on environmental protection, and has been active in performing the obligations stipulated in these conventions, which include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The white paper, however, also notes that the government is fully aware of the grave situation of environmental protection in the country.

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, the paper warns.

In the 11th Five-Year Program for Economic and Social Development (2006-2010), China has clearly set forth its main goals for environmental protection for the next five years: by 2010, while the national economy will maintain a relatively stable and fast growth, the environmental quality of key regions and cities will be improved, and the trend toward ecological deterioration will be brought under control.

The 11th Five-Year Program also requires energy consumption per unit of GDP to be declined by 20 percent, compared with the end of the 10th Five-Year Plan period. The total amount of major pollutants discharged will be reduced by ten percent, and forest coverage will be raised from 18.2 percent to 20 percent.

In its conclusion, the white paper stresses that 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 well being 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," the paper says.