BEIJING- On Thursday, a Chinese environment ministry official said that China will work on maintaining its environmental protection goals without easing off on them even if the economy faces a slowdown.
Last year, the cabinet issued a guide with anti-pollution targets to be achieved by end of 2020 and there shall be no adjustments on them.
Xu Bijiu, the director-general of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment also said, ” It’s like … rowing a boat against the current. We have no other choice but to go forward. The environment and the economy are not opposites” but can move in the same direction.”
The last statement can be affirmed by the fact that China’s GDP had grown in 2013 and 2018 while air pollution reduced over that time.
The GDP growth in China has slowed to 6.0% in the third quarter which may be attributed to the trade war with the U.S. and industrial area business owners are hit hard by the environmental crackdown.
Pollution controls will be maintained by the ministry precisely and scientifically with special audits in areas with degrading air quality and improving assistance in non-key areas.
Preferential environmental protection tax policies will be promoted among private firms which face difficulties in financing along with the launch of a national green development fund in 2020.
It is the sixth year of China’s “war on pollution” in order to reverse three decades of damage.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.
