China's top legislature is reviewing a draft amendment to the law on the prevention of solid waste pollution to avoid the country becoming the "world's largest dumping ground." 

The amendment was submitted for "first deliberation" to the 12th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 10th National People's Congress held from October 22 to 27.

While China is playing a greater role in the world's manufacturing sector, experts have repeatedly warned that it also risks becoming a dumping ground for garbage from overseas. Many Chinese have been angry at the levels of waste being imported when the country already has plenty of environmental problems of its own.

"The rapid growth of the Chinese economy has resulted in a huge market for foreign renewable resources, but China's current regulations cannot maintain effective, systematic management, providing too many opportunities for illegal trafficking," said Wang Jiwei, general secretary of the renewable metal department of China's Nonferrous Metal Association.

China imported 3 million tons of waste plastic in 2003 and 1.88 million additional tons in the first half of 2004, up 31 percent compared to the same period last year.

Wang said the proper use of renewable resources like waste iron can greatly reduce contamination and energy consumption -- both vital, as China suffers from both increasing pollution and chronic power shortages.

"How to take advantage of imported waste while effectively preventing the entry of hazardous foreign waste is a major task of China's legislature," Wang acknowledged.

Current regulations do not fully address the seriousness of the situation and lack sufficient detail, said Zhang Lijun, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration's pollution control department.

According to the draft, all imported waste will be classified into three kinds: non-importation, restricted import and automatic approval, each of which will receive different legal treatment. All imported waste will need to accord with official standards and must receive government checks.

The draft adds clauses imposing criminal penalties on those illegally trafficking imported waste and stipulates the responsibilities of imported waste carriers if holders cannot be identified.

It also includes an independent article stipulating the procedure for resolving disputes between government departments and importers.

"The draft amendment is expected to play a crucial role in lessening the threat posed by imported waste to the country's environment and health," said Zhang Lijun, whose department is in charge of the law's implementation.

It is estimated that more than 500 million tons of toxic waste is produced around the world annually, a growing portion of which is being transferred to developing countries.

In order to tighten control over imported waste, China added new clauses to its criminal law in 1997 and 2002, introducing punishments to illegal waste importers and users.

China was one of the first countries to join the Basel Convention on the control of cross-border movement and disposal of hazardous waste.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2004)