SHANGHAI, May 9 (Xinhuanet)-- China will step up international
environmental cooperation following its accession into the World
Trade Organization (WTO), said Xie Zhenhua, Minister of the State
Environmental Protection Administration.
   The minister made the pledge at the PRC-Day Seminar Thursday
here, a key event of the 35th annual meeting of the board of
governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB).
   Xie said that China would learn from international experience
to improve policies and management skills concerning environmental
protection, and would keep readjusting and reforming in this
regard based on its own situation.
   The senior official stated that it was necessary for China to
foster a more harmonious coexistence between environmental and
trade policies, and standardize government environmental
administration to better adapt itself to the WTO requirements.
   At the same time China needed to further develop environmental
protection in line with international trends, strengthen the
economic incentives, and release environment-related information
to the public, Xie added.
   To achieve a "win-win" result in environment protection and
trade growth, China planned to adopt the "clean production" method
in primary and secondary industries, launch labeling and
authentication for organic and green food production in line with
the ISO14000 environmental management system, accelerate the
formulation of environmental standards for market access, and
improve environmental inspection and supervision and the
management of imports and exports, Xie explained.
   The minister also pointed out that China planned to improve
pollutant discharge registration, push forward the reform of
taxation and mobilize enterprises to participate in environment
protection.
   He stressed that China's entry into the WTO would, in the long
term, help the country to attract investment and introduce
advanced technologies from other countries.
   The demand for investment in environment protection was
estimated to reach some 700 billion yuan (over 84 billion U.S.
dollars) during China's 10th Five-year Plan Period (2001-2005),
Xie revealed.
   He invited overseas investors and financial institutions to
explore the massive market, promising that "China will strictly
fulfill its commitments on opening the environment service
industry".
   China was putting great importance on the sustainable
development strategy and the environment protection drive. It had
formulated 36 environmental laws and regulations in recent years.
   According to the goal of environment protection during the 10th
Five-year Plan Period, the total discharge amount of main
pollutants in China is expected to shrink by 10 percent by the
year 2005, compared with the figure in 2000. The acreage of
natural reserves will account for 13 percent of China's territory,
and 35 percent of the urban areas will be green areas by that time.
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