An advisor to the Chinese government stressed Wednesday that it was a critical task to control soil erosion and improve the ecosystem along the Yangtze River, the country's longest waterway.

"It's also a long-term objective in China's modernization drive to preserve the Yangtze ecosystem and curb pollution along its drainage," said Chen Zongxing, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body, at the ongoing CPPCC annual session.

At least 660,000 square kilometers, or 36.7 percent, of the Yangtze River drainage area suffers from soil erosion, said Chen, also vice president of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party.

"In 2003, an average 30,000 tons of sewage was poured into the river every minute," Chen said, citing the result of a survey his party conducted together with the CPPCC Committee of Population, Resources and Environment last year.

Ecological deterioration has endangered many aquatic animals, including the Chinese sturgeons and white-flag dolphins, the world's rarest dolphin, according to the survey.

Chen proposed a national committee be established and dedicated to the preservation of the Yangtze River ecology, and a special law on ecological conservation in Yangtze's drainage be formulated so that environmental protection departments have bigger power for law enforcement.

"Local governments and businesses in the Yangtze valley should seek sustainable development, improve cost-effectiveness and minimize pollution in economic growth," he said, adding it's also important to step up technological innovation and translate more research findings into ecological conservation work.

He also suggested the government increase investment in the Yangtze River ecological conservation and build more environment-friendly infrastructure facilities, including ecological belts, along the river banks.

"The government should encourage private investor to enter the environment sector and set up a fund dedicated to ecological preservation on the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River," Chen said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2005)