CEN: How to understand the discussions concerning environmental protection in the 16th Party congress report?

Xie: the target of building a well-off society in an all-round way as set in the report is very inspiring. In addition to requirements for the economy, politics and culture, there are also ones for environmental protection and sustainable development. In the coming two decades, sustainable development will be strengthened and the eco-environment will be constantly improved. There are nine parts concerning environmental protection in the report.

For instance, in terms of economic construction and economic restructuring, the report urges to implement the strategy of sustainable development and blaze a new path of industrialization that is scientifically and technologically sophisticated with better economic results, less resource consumption and environmental pollution and with human resources brought into full play.

In the meantime, it stresses that sustainable development must be put in an outstanding place and China will persist in the basic national policy of family planning, environmental protection and resource protection. It says that infrastructure and eco-environmental construction will be the key in developing China’s west.

Of all the reports at Party congresses, the report is the one that has the most numerous mentions of environmental protection. This fully shows that the high attention the Party attaches to environmental protection and the Party has put it high on the agenda. Sustainable development and environmental protection as two important indexes for the building of a well-off society are written into the Party congress report. This embodies in an all-round way the spirit of the important thought of “Three Represents”, providing fine opportunities for the development of environmental protection and setting higher demands for environmental protection administrations.

CEN: What are the targets set for environmental protection at the 16th party congress?

Xie: In accordance with the Party congress target of building a well-off society early in this century, China’s economy will be quadrupled in the coming two decades and urbanization will be quickened. The production will develop, life will get well-off and the target of a fine eco-environment will have to be achieved. This means that environmental protection will meet unprecedented challenges. Under the current ever sharpening conflict between the eco-environment, natural resources and economic and social development, to maintain a continued, fast and healthy growth of the national economy, it is imperative to change the traditional growth pattern and improve the quality and effects of economic growth. Otherwise, the environment can hardly bear the pressure.

This also provides much greater room for the development of environmental protection. In the future development, environmental protection should be more closely combined with economic restructuring, promote the upgrading and optimization of the industrial structure and cut the total amount of the discharge of pollutants to improve the quality of the environment. China’s industrialization will genuinely take a new road that is scientifically and technologically sophisticated with better economic effects and less resource consumption and environmental pollution and with the human resources brought into full play. In promoting agricultural and rural economic restructuring and urbanization, environmental protection should play an active role in scientific planning, the sewage and garbage disposal in small towns and other infrastructure construction.

In opening up the west and promoting the coordinated development of regional economy, environmental protection should make big efforts to support the construction of infrastructure and eco-environment and avoid taking the beaten track of “first pollution, then treatment” to ensure that environment protection in the west will develop and economic areas and belts with unique characteristics will take shape.

In a word, in building a well-off society in an all-round way, environmental protection will have a big role to play. It will make its own contribution in attaining this target in this new century.

CEN: What should the environmental protection administrations do in the efforts to attain the target of building a well-off society in the coming two decades?

Xie: At present, the environmental status in China is still very harsh. First, the total amount of discharge of pollutants is big, far surpassing the environmental bear ability and its self-purification capacity. Secondly, the worsening trend of ecology has not yet been effectively checked; there is much work to be done. Thirdly, new environmental problems crop up before the old ones are well tackled. We will not only have to tackle the old problems, but also work hard to attain the target of a fine ecology as set at the 16th Party congress. The task confronting environmental protection is arduous to ensure that pollution lessens and the environment improves while production increases, especially when the economy continues to grow at a high speed.

This asks us to implement the spirit of the 16th Party congress in an all-round way, keep pace with the times and work creatively. We will ensure that environmental protection will develop at a faster pace with a series of effective measures so as to attain the target of building a well-off society.

For the next period of time, first of all, we will continue to put environmental protection high on the agenda of the Party committees and governments at all levels and institute an environmental protection responsibility system. Environmental protection will be made as part of the content to assess the accomplishments of their leaders so as to ensure that environmental protection will make new progress.

Secondly, we will bring into play the role of the market and guide environmental protection with economic policy and strengthen environmental protection with legal, economic, administrative and technical means instead of purely relying on administrative orders.

Thirdly, We will make full use of government, enterprise and social funds to increase the input in environmental protection in a variety of ways. We will formulate relevant environmental economic policies to open more investment channels.

Fourthly, we will perfect the legislation so that it will be in conformity with the efforts to build a well-off society and define the behaviors of environmental protection step by step.

Fifthly, It is imperative to rely on science and technology in environmental protection. Environmental science research is a weak link now. We will try to tackle more environmental problems through scientific research. The macro environmental strategy and the cycle economy all call for scientific research.

Sixthly, We will streamline the management system to unify the responsibility, rights and interest. Efficiency will improve by institutional restructuring.

Seventhly, we will enhance publicity in environmental protection to raise the national awareness of environmental protection and sustainable development.

In a word, we will seize the opportunity the 16th Party congress brought to environmental protection and tackle well the current urgent issues in environmental protection so as to make new breakthroughs and new developments with new ideas and measures.

(www.cenews.com.cn November 26, 2002)