China releases report on state of the country’s environment

World Today

China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection has held a press conference to introduce a report on pollution. The air quality figure is of greatest concern: Only three out of 74 cities monitored met the air quality standard last year.

And seven of the ten cities with the worst air are located in northern China’s Hebei Province, one of the country’s most important industrial areas. Meanwhile, China’s top three major cities — Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou — also suffer from hazardous air. Beijing, surrounded by heavy industry, only meets the air standard for less than half of the year. However, the report adds that more than 90% of drinking water sources in China are drinkable. China released a plan to improve the air quality last year, and the government is working on two plans to ease water and soil pollution. In April, the country passed its revised Environmental Protection Law. The law aims to take a tougher stance against industrial polluters, imposing stricter fines and punishments. CCTV’s Zhong Shi reports.

China releases report on state of environment

China's Ministry of Environmental Protection has held a press conference to introduce a report on pollution. The air quality figure is of greatest concern: Only three out of 74 cities monitored met the air quality standard last year. And seven of the ten cities with the worst air are located in northern China's Hebei Province, one of the country's most important industrial areas. Meanwhile, China's top three major cities -- Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou -- also suffer from hazardous air. Beijing, surrounded by heavy industry, only meets the air standard for less than half of the year. However, the report adds that more than 90% of drinking water sources in China are drinkable. China released a plan to improve the air quality last year, and the government is working on two plans to ease water and soil pollution. In April, the country passed its revised Environmental Protection Law. The law aims to take a tougher stance against industrial polluters, imposing stricter fines and punishments. CCTV's Zhong Shi reports.