And top officials in the western province want to keep it that way.

Zhao Leji, governor of Qinghai Province, told a press conference yesterday that no manufacturing industries will be developed at the river source.

He said his government had developed a long-term plan to safeguard ecosystems in the area where the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Lancang River originate.

Dubbed "China's water tower," Qinghai, which contributes almost half of the water supply of the Yellow River and more than 10 percent of Yangtze's volume, lists environmental protection as one of its top tasks, said Jiang Jiemin, vice-governor of the province.

According to Jiang, the province has gained the approval of the State Council to establish a State-level nature reserve covering 150,000 square kilometres - almost the size of Henan Province in Central China - at the headwaters of the three rivers.

The province will also accelerate its rehabilitation of cultivated land as forests and grassland, while moving some inhabitants out of the preservation zone, said Jiang.

"We will do our utmost to restore nature as much as possible," he said.

Since China started its western development drive, concerns have arisen that local economies in western China would be developed at the cost of the local environment.

But Zhao said: "We are definitely more concerned about this subject than outsiders. After all, this is our home."

According to Zhao, Qinghai has also made headway in protecting the habitats of wild plants and animals.

For example, effective measures have been taken to protect the Tibetan antelope and its numbers are now increasing.

Zhao said the province will strive hard to achieve economic progress while protecting the environment.

He said the province aims to achieve an economic growth rate of more than 10 percent in the next five to 10 years to catch up with the average provincial growth rates in East China.

(China Daily March 13, 2003)