On the banks of a 1.3-kilometer river in Kunshan, east China's Zhejiang Province, children now run along green pathways where muddy embankments once collapsed into polluted water. Elderly residents gather in lovely parks that did not exist a few years ago, and morning joggers trace routes built on what was once a deteriorating riverbank.

This quiet transformation of the Nanfanji River is a result of the "river chief system," a governance innovation that assigns responsibility for each river to a designated official. The system creates a clear accountability chain, ensuring that water management is no longer fragmented across departments.

Xu Liqin is the river chief with responsibility for the Nanfanji River. She told CGTN that her work focuses on ecological restoration, improving water quality, and upgrading the environment.

"The river chief mainly plays a leading and coordinating role," Xu said. "The water authority is in charge of river regulation and ecological restoration. The housing and urban-rural development department is responsible for building greenways and parks. The culture and sports department provides children's recreational facilities," she explained.

A system designed to solve water governance challenges

Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that ecological protection is fundamental to development, stating that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," and calling on people to "protect the environment like one protects one's eyes and treat the environment as one treats one's life."

Guided by his green development philosophy, China announced the establishment of the river chief system in 2016. By 2018, it had been fully implemented nationwide across all 31 provincial-level regions, reaching township and village levels. According to official data, more than 300,000 river chiefs and over 760,000 grassroots river patrol personnel have been appointed across the country.

The river chief system reflects China's effort to address long-standing challenges in water governance, where multiple departments often share overlapping but unclear responsibilities.

The system requires each river to have a designated "chief," responsible for coordination, inspection, and accountability. Environmental management is thus transformed into a closed-loop process that links policy implementation directly to individual responsibility.

From pollution control to systemic green transformation

Over the past decade, the impact of this system has become visible across China's waterways.

The proportion of surface water with good quality rose from 64.5% in 2015 to over 90% in 2025. The Yangtze and Yellow rivers maintained Grade II water quality throughout 2025. More than 90% of sewage outlets into rivers have been rectified, and over 2,700 centralized wastewater treatment facilities have been built in industrial parks. Black and odorous urban water bodies have largely been eliminated.

Improvements are also visible in the air and land ecosystems.

Data from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment shows that in 2025, 89.3% of days nationwide recorded good air quality. Meanwhile, heavily polluted days fell to 0.9%. Afforestation reached 3.56 million hectares, with 4.93 million hectares of degraded grassland restored. Forest coverage rose to 25.09%, making China one of the fastest greening countries globally.

Public satisfaction with the ecological environment has remained above 90% for five consecutive years.

Green development as a global contribution

Beyond strengthening pollution control and ecosystem restoration, China has also advanced green technology innovation, which not only benefits itself but also contributes to global green transformation.

The country has built a large-scale green manufacturing system centered on new energy and new materials, supporting its carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. Renewable energy now accounts for more than half of China's total installed power capacity, and China contributes over 50% of global new renewable energy capacity.

Over the past decade, China has helped reduce global wind and solar power costs by more than 60% and 80%, respectively. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), exports of wind and solar products are estimated to have helped reduce carbon emissions in other countries by about 4.1 billion tonnes.

Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, once said China's support has significantly improved the accessibility and affordability of clean energy technologies.

From a small river in Zhejiang to a large-scale national green transformation, China's river chief mechanism has proven not only to be an effective governance innovation but also a model with broader relevance. It demonstrates that environmental protection, when backed by clear accountability and institutional design, can deliver tangible results.

More importantly, China's experience suggests that green development is not a burden on growth, but a catalyst for restructuring economies, fostering new industries, and creating long-term value that benefits future generations.