Summing up an eight-year policy of "national, cross-century news reporting by journalists about environmental protection", the National People's Congress (NPC) Environment and Resources Committee said central government encourages more whistle-blowing by the press and by the general public in an effort to achieve a cleaner environment.

More than 200 people from local congresses, ministries and organizations are attending the committee's four-day meeting to review achievements and experiences and make plans for the next decade.

Launched by the committee and supported by many state departments and non-governmental organizations, the cross-century action organizes journalists to carry out nationwide fact-finding investigations.

The action has had different themes over the past few years, such as "declare a war on environmental pollution," "maintain the ecological balance," "treasure natural resources," "protect water for life," "love the Yellow River," and "ecological protection in Western Development."

The NPC Environment and Resources Protection Committee has developed a new system to integrate legal supervision with the work being done by the press.

Data from the committee showed that a total of 13,000 journalists have been involved in the action since it was launched in 1993, and more than 104,000 news reports have been published.

A total of 3,567 environment and resource-related issues have so far been settled after being exposed by the press.

(China Daily 11/06/2000)