China has achieved significant results after two rounds of central environmental inspections in the past seven years, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Zhai Qing told a press conference on Wednesday.

The inspections began in 2015, and the second round, initiated in 2019, had covered 31 provinces, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, two departments and six centrally administered state-owned enterprises by the first half of this year in six batches, Zhai said.

The vice minister said that about 95 percent of the 3,294 rectification tasks specified in the first round have been completed along with half of the 1,227 rectification tasks specified in the first three batches of the second round. Meanwhile, rectification work on areas in the fourth, fifth and sixth batches is progressing in an orderly fashion.

During the rounds, the central environmental inspectors have notified 262 typical cases, of which 48.5 percent involve serious environment pollution and poor environmental infrastructure, 33.2 percent are about ecological damage and jeopardizing sustainable development, and the rest involve falsification and bureaucratism. 

In terms of ecological protection of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, the inspection teams have varied focuses. Zhai said the inspection of provinces in the Yangtze River Economic Belt focuses on the 10-year fishing ban, ecological restoration and pollution prevention, while the inspection of provinces in the Yellow River basin emphasizes on water shortage. 

Zhai said significant progress has been made over the years: the overall water quality of the Yangtze River's main stream reached Class II level for the first time in 2020, biodiversity has increased as the Yangtze finless porpoises are more commonly seen, and the wetland area of the Yellow River nature reserve has increased substantially.

Zhai said the inspections are based on Chinese President Xi Jinping's vision about ecological civilization and the idea of making local officials responsible for environment protection. 

(Cover image via CFP)

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