All-around environmental inspections planned

Li Ganjie, minister of Environmental Protection, picks up questions during a press conference on pursuing green development and building a "Beautiful China" in Beijing, Oct 23, 2017. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/chinadaily.com.cn]

He made the remarks at a news conference on the sidelines of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

"We will sort out questions and accumulate experience based on previous inspections and further complete pertinent system initiatives to prepare for the next round of inspection," Li said.

Random inspections in major areas and industries are expected to start at the end of 2017 or early 2018, he said.

A national-level inspection mechanism has been established. The ministry is encouraging and guiding provincial level governments to set up inspection mechanisms accordingly.

China has launched high-level environmental inspections by the central government since the end of 2015. By Sept 15, four-round inspections were completed, covering 31 provincial-level regions.

A total of 135,000 reports were received during the inspections. In the end, 104,000 cases were handed to local governments and 102,000 have been solved, Li said.

"About 80,000 cases involving waste, smoking, odor, noise, polluted enterprise and water pollution have been handled properly. Thus, the inspection move has been welcomed by ordinary people," he said.