China issued its 2001 annual report on the state of environment Friday, saying the general situation was "far from optimistic" even though total amount of pollution was reduced.

The 2001 report issued by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) said the overall state of environment last year almost remained unchanged compared with that of 2000, naming pollution in rivers, lakes and seas, air pollution in cities, and acid rain as major problems across the country.

Seven major rivers and their tributaries in China have been polluted in varying degrees. The Yellow, Huai and Liao rivers in north China suffered from especially serious pollution last year due to sharp decrease of water flow, it said.

Excessive discharge of phosphor and nitrogen into the water, mainly due to overuse of fertilizers by farmers and improper handling of wastes produced by livestock and fowl farms, is still a leading cause of pollution of the lakes of Dianchi, Tai and Chao.

Out of 341 major Chinese cities whose air quality was under constant monitoring, only ten often reported the "excellent" state and one third of the total had "good" air through the year.

Acid rain caused by excessive sulfur dioxide in the air hit many areas in the south last year, and noise was emerging as a new pollution in urban areas, the report said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2002)