Are we hiding the problems?
President Xi to give iron hand to polluters
English.news.cn | 2015-03-06 21:53:54 | Editor: Tang Danlu
President Xi to give iron hand to polluters - Xinhua | English.news.cn
Chinese President Xi Jinping (front, 2nd R), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviews the work report of the State Council together with National People's Congress (NPC) deputies from Jiangxi Province during the third session of the 12th NPC, in Beijing, capital of China, March 6, 2015. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping vowed here Friday to give an iron hand to any polluters in the smog-choked country.
"We are going to punish, with an iron hand, any violators who destroy ecology or environment, with no exceptions," said Xi, while reviewing the work report of the State Council together with National People's Congress (NPC) deputies from Jiangxi Province.
He asked the Chinese to protect ecology and environment like to "care one's own eyes and life," showing his resolve to curb widespread pollution that the world's second largest economy is battling.
"Protecting environment is ensuring livelihood," Xi said.
His remarks echoed the work report that has demonstrated the determination of the world's most populous country to cut pollution.
"Environmental pollution is a blight on people's quality of life and a trouble that weighs on their hearts," it said. "We must fight it with all our might."
The report also said that the world's biggest emitter will cut the intensity of carbon dioxide by at least 3.1 percent this year.
Soil, water and air pollution have remained hot topics at China's annual sessions of the top legislature and political advisory body.
China declared a "war against pollution" last year, calling for tougher regulations over polluting industries.
"Problems such as administration loopholes, weak public awareness and lack of supervision still exist," said Qin Dahe, an academic with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
He suggested long-term planning with a focus on the promotion of green techniques.
Talking with the Jiangxi deputies, Xi also pledged to advance the battle against corruption and governing of the Communist Party of China (CPC), urging to "pluck the rotten trees, cure the sick trees and straighten the crooked trees."
Supervision over the officials, especially the CPC officials, should be strengthened, he said.
Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, joined discussion with deputies from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.
Talking with deputies from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Zhang said that the CPC Central Committee sincerely hopes that the region can carry out the universal suffrage in the election of the HKSAR Chief Executive in 2017 according to the Hong Kong Basic Law and decisions made by the NPC Standing Committee.
That has been the CPC Central Committee's consistent stance on Hong Kong and also the expectations of the Hong Kong compatriots, he said.
Top political advisor
Yu Zhengsheng urged to enhance the overall strength and competitiveness of the country's culture while joining the panel discussion with the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (
CPPCC) National Committee members from the cultural and art sector.
Wang Qishan, head of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, called on to advance the anti-corruption battle and the building of CPC work style and a clean government.
He told NPC deputies from Fujian Province that supervision over officials and the accountability mechanism should be highlighted this year.
Extra efforts needed to battle smog: minister
English.news.cn | 2015-03-07 18:20:17 | Editor: Yamei Wang
Extra efforts needed to battle smog: minister - Xinhua | English.news.cn
China's Minister of Environmental Protection Chen Jining gives a press conference for the third session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), on environmental protection in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2015. (Xinhua/Li Ran)
BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- China needs to make "extra efforts" to battle the grave air pollution that has raised public concern, the newly appointed Environmental Protection Minister said Saturday.
About 80 percent of more than 300 cities failed to meet the official standard of air quality last year, with smog frequently choking the Yangtze River and Pearl River deltas as well as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, said minister Chen Jining, an environmental scientist and former president of Tsinghua University.
The Chinese government issued the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan in September 2013 to control PM2.5, or airborne particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, and reduce the number of smoggy days.
China has been promoting desulfurization and denitration of newly installed power plants. More than 6 million old vehicles and heavy-polluting vehicles were weeded out last year, exceeding the total figure of the previous three years, he said.
Environmental protection authorities transferred 2,080 cases of suspected violation of laws to public security agencies, which doubled the total figure of the previous 10 years, he added.
"No country in the world is making such great efforts as China to combat air pollution within so short time," he told a press conference.
"We can achieve the goal of greatly improving air quality, but the difficulty is formidable," he said. "We need to make extra efforts."
The government would strengthen the implementation of the revised environmental protection law and raise the capacity of pollution control in a scientific and systematic way, he said.
The ministry summoned leaders from the cities of Linyi in east China's Shandong Province and Chengde in the northern province of Hebei, urging them to strengthen inspections and impose severe penalties on polluters.
A good law should not become "paper tiger". We must use it as a sharp weapon, Chen said.
Local governments found slack in supervision or inactive in pollution control would face punishment, he said.
The government would also ensure information transparency and protect the public's right to know, participate in and supervise the fight against air pollution.
China punishes environmental impact assessment agencies
English.news.cn 2015-03-06 16:03:28
China punishes environmental impact assessment agencies - Xinhua | English.news.cn
BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Environmental Protection on Friday announced it had punished 63 environmental impact assessment agencies and 22 assessment engineers for violating laws and regulations.
The agencies either had their licenses revoked, received public criticism or were asked to rectify their practice, according to the ministry.
Professional negligence was identified, some agencies had faked documentation when applying for the environmental impact assessment agency qualification.
Cheng Lifeng, an official with the ministry, said 159 agencies and 169 engineers had been disciplined with over the past two years for violations that threatened environmental safety and damaged social integrity.
"Any violation will be severely punished," Cheng said.
Related:
Minister urges open information in pollution control
BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The government would enhance information transparency and guarantee the public's rights to supervise the fight against air pollution, China's environmental protection minister said Saturday.
We would publish activities of the government and enterprises, leaving no space for violators to hide from the environmental protection law, said minister Chen Jining, at a press conference.
Full story
China vows active Int'l role in pollution fight
BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday pledged to actively cooperate with other nations and International organizations in its battle against pollution.
China's newly appointed Environmental Protection Minister Chen Jining made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature
陈平中 Chen Pingzhong, ink and brush painting
