Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. Improve the ecological environment is the development of productive forces. From top design to full deployment and the strictest system to the more severe rule of law, China's ecological civilization construction is proceeding in a solid and orderly way. More and more people are deeply realized that walk out of either this or that zero sum thinking, lush mountains and economic performance can be win-win.
China, Japan and South Korea environment ministers meeting held on August 25th in Suwon Korea. During this meeting, the ministers of Japan, China and South Korea exchanged views on the latest environmental policies, the global and regional hot spot environmental issues, and the implementation of the joint action plan. Chinese Minister of environmental protection Li Ganjie said at the meeting, since 2012, the Chinese government regards ecological civilization construction as an important content of governance; and we propose and practice the five major development concepts, namely, innovation, coordination, green, opening and sharing. Li Ganjie introduced the progress of China's environmental protection work on the theme of "firmly putting up the battle for ecological environment protection and accelerating the formation of a green way of development and lifestyle". He said, in last 5 years, China's ecological environment protection presents five unprecedented issues.
First one, the depth of understanding is unprecedented. More and more places will strengthen environmental protection as an opportunity and an important starting point, and promote economic and social development and ecological environment protection together. More and more enterprises have realized that strengthening environmental protection is in line with their long-term development interests. The concept of everyone is responsible to protect the environment is gradually accepted; green consumption and sharing economy are developed rapidly.
Second one, the intensity of pollution control is unprecedented. China has become the world's largest sewage treatment and waste disposal country. China totally shut down high-energy consumption and heavy pollution backward coal motor group about 15 million kilowatts. 500 million kilowatts of coal-fired power units complete energy-saving and ultra-low emissions transformation. And fully implement the fifth stage motor vehicle emission standards and clean oil standards. From 2014 to 2016, china totally eliminates yellow cars, vehicles that fail to meet the European No.1 standard for exhaust emissions, and old cars about 16,200,000 units. 108,000 villages carry out comprehensive improvement of rural environment; 190 million rural people are benefit.
Third, the frequency of the system introduction is unprecedented. At the central level, more than 40 specific reform programs for ecological civilization and environmental protection have been examined and approved. Central environmental protection inspectors achieved full coverage of 31 provinces and autonomous regions, which promoted the solution of a large number of outstanding environmental problems. 12 provinces preliminary delimited the ecological protection red line. Organized promoting the reform of the vertical management system for monitoring and supervision of environmental protection institutions below the provincial level; Implementing the control of pollutant discharge permit system; completing sewage permits issued for more than 5, 000 thermal powers and paper making enterprises.
Forth, strict supervision of law enforcement standards is unprecedented. The new environmental protection law, known as "the most stringent in history", has been implemented since 2015, and has made unprecedented efforts to combat environmental violation. In 2016, 137, 800 cases of environmental violations were investigated and dealt with nationwide, reaching a record high. In some places, the contingent of environmental police has been set up, and the environmental judicial protection has been strengthened.
Fifth, the speed of environmental improvement is unprecedented. In 2016, the average concentration of fine particles (PM2.5) in three key areas of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei province, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta decreased by more than 30% compared with 2013. The proportion of acid rain area in the country has dropped from more than 30% of the high historical period to about 7% at present. Surface water state-controlled section, I-III water ratio increased to 67.8%, inferior class V water ratio decreased to 8.6%. The water quality of major rivers has been steadily improved.
