The State Council on Friday approved the resignation of China's environment chief, following a chemical spill that has seriously polluted the Songhua River in Northeast China.

Xie Zhenhua, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), submitted a resignation request to the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, China's cabinet. "The request has been approved," said a joint circular from the general offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

Xie, 56, has become the highest-ranking official to have been removed from office following an environmental incident, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.

This shows the authorities are "increasingly aware of the danger of seeking economic development at the cost of the environment, as well as the importance of boosting government accountability," it said.

In a separate announcement, the State Council said it has appointed Zhou Shengxian, former director of the State Forestry Administration, as Xie's successor.

Zhou, also 56, worked for 10 years in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region before being appointed deputy director of the forestry administration. He became the director in 2000.

About 100 tons of pollutants containing hazardous benzene and its derivatives leaked into the Songhua River after a chemical plant explosion in the city of Jilin, in Northeast China's Jilin Province, on November 13

"After this major water pollution incident occurred, SEPA failed to pay sufficient attention to the incident and underestimated its potentially serious impact," said the joint circular.

"It should bear due responsibility for the losses caused by this incident," it added.

The incident forced cities along the river, including Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province with a population of 3.8 million, to suspend water supply for days.

As the pollutants are also expected to flow into a major border river, the Heilong River (called Amur in Russia) between China and Russia, diplomatic efforts and environmental co-operation are now underway to minimize the impact of cross-border pollution.

The equipment to test benzene, which was given by SEPA, arrived in Russia's Khabarovsk, a city with a population of 580,000, on Friday. Several Chinese experts will also go to Khabarovsk from Harbin to help collect water samples.

The joint circular ordered relevant departments to step up investigations into the cause of the explosion and pollution incidents, and pledged to "seriously punish those responsible."

Jiang Chengsong, a member of the Environmental and Resources Protection Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, said the quick replacement of the environmental chief after the Songhua River pollution incident also shows the improvement of China's political system.

"It indicates that the country's accountability system for officials has become more mature," he said.

China activated the accountability system during the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) crisis in 2003.

More than 1,000 officials, including then Health Minister Zhang Wenkang and Beijing Mayor Meng Xuenong, were ousted for their attempts to cover up the epidemic situation, and incompetence in prevention and control.

The system was later introduced to all levels of government, and more officials have lost their jobs for major accidents or administrative mistakes.

(China Daily December 5, 2005)