China outlines environmental protection plan for 2004

China's highest environmental authority outlined Thursday its 2004 plan to protect the country's environment, which is increasingly threatened by the burgeoning economy.
At an annual conference of nationwide environmental officials held in Beijing beginning Thursday, Xie Zhenhua, head of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), said that this year SEPA will focus on cleaning up China's most polluted areas and most polluting industries.
China scored a Gross Domestic Production of 1.33 trillion US dollars in 2003, and plans to quadruple this figure by 2020.
"If not well-handled, the fast growing economy may lead to terrible pollution," said Xie. "SEPA hopes to help forge a more balanced growth."
Xie first announced the punishments for polluters along the most polluted waterways such as the Huaihe River and Taihu Lake areas, and in heavy-polluting paper-making and chemistry plants.
A scheme to add environmental indicators to the assessment of local officials and plans to complete environmental legislature and improve the management system are also planned.
Xie also said that much is to be done in capacity building for the preservation of the ecological system and prevention of radiation leakage.
"It's a time of both challenges and opportunities," said Xie, citing Chinese President Hu Jintao's Wednesday speech, which noted the need to transform the current growth model which damages the environment and drains resources.
On the same as Hu's speech, Premier Wen Jiabao also demanded the SEPA promote recycling, slash pollutant emission and clean main waterways.