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China is to strengthen
its legislation on environment and resources in the next five
years. And the National People's Congress (NPC) must tighten
its supervision of law enforcement in the new century, in order
to stop further deterioration of the environment and the excessive
use of natural resources, a top environment legislator said.
The country's top legislature, the NPC, plans to enact four
new laws in the coming years regarding the evaluation of environmental
changes, clean production, the prevention of sandstorms and
desertification and the control of pollution by radio-active
substances.
Meanwhile, legislators with the Environment and Resources Protection
Committee have reached a consensus on formulating a law on the
comprehensive utilization of natural resources, Qu Geping, chairman
of the NPC Environment and Resources Protection Committee, told
China Daily in a recent interview.
The legislators believe such a law may force enterprises and
individuals to adopt environmentally-friendly work and life
styles and use resources rationally, he elaborated.
Qu said that the drafting of the resource use law might be put
onto the NPC agenda soon and he therefore expects it to be promulgated
within the next few years.
According to Qu, the NPC will review and modify the existing
laws on the environment and resources one by one, to adapt them
to the changing conditions expected due to rapid economic and
social development in the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05).
To date, China has mapped out 36 environmental protection laws
and regulations.
There are also more than 600 local laws to protect the environment
and natural resources.
The legislators will also give full consideration to the consequences
China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) might
bring.
Qu believes that China's impending entry into the World Trade
Organization (WTO) will provide a historic opportunity for the
country to adjust its economic structure and facilitate the
building of a more environmentally-friendly economy.
Environmental and ecological protection in the western development
project will be another key issue to be highlighted in reviewing
and modifying the environment and ecological protection laws
in the next five years, according to Qu.
"The western region currently faces three major environmental
problems - the recovery and development of vegetation; rational
exploration and use of water resources and pollution control
in cities and towns," said Qu.
Qu said he hopes the western region will take lessons from mistakes
made by developed regions and eventually maintain a sound and
co-ordinated environment and economic and social development.
Regarding law enforcement, Qu said that China has made great
progress in law enforcement over the past two decades. But he
added that law enforcement is not as strict as is needed.
The country will further increase the publicity of laws and
regulations and augment manpower needed to supervise law enforcement
in the next five years, Qu stressed.
(China Daily 11/20/2000)
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