China will inject over 700 billion yuan (US$85 billion) into its environmental protection projects during the 10th five-year plan period (2001-2005).

This was disclosed Sunday afternoon by Xie Zhenhua, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, at the ongoing 2001 annual meeting of China Development Forum, which was opened Sunday morning.

Xie noted that this amount of investment will account for about 1.3 percent of China's GDP (gross domestic product) in the same period.

A total of 13 major projects have been listed among these projects including pollution treatment along the east line of the south-north water diversion project, clearing the water entering the Bohai Sea, water pollution treatment in the Three Gorges area, and the construction of waste water treatment plants in cities along Huaihe, Haihe and Liaohe rivers, and the three major lakes of Taihu, Chaohu and Dianchi.

Xie said that by the end of 2005, China's total discharge of major pollutants is expected to be 10 percent lower than 2000, with environmental pollution eased to a certain extent.

The realization of this goal will depend on the Chinese government's measures including industrial restructuring and the elimination of energy-consuming and polluting industries, noted Xie.

Meanwhile, readjusting the urban industrial structure and layout, popularizing scientific knowledge on environmental protection, and improving the Chinese people's environmental awareness will also help realize the goal, Xie added.
The theme of the two-day meeting, sponsored by the Development Research Center of the State Council, is "The Role of Government in a Rapidly Globalizing Economy."

Over 100 participants are attending the meeting, including officials from relevant departments of the State Council, leaders of big domestic companies and some transnational, representatives from international and non-governmental organizations, and Chinese and overseas scholars.

(Xinhua 03/26)