2018年CRI China to work out three-year blue sky defending plan（在线收听）

The Chinese government has announced plans to roll out a three-year plan to ensure greater achievements in air pollution control.

The decision was made at the National Environment Protection Conference that concluded over the weekend.

The two-day environment conference reviewed the achievements over the past year.

According to Minister of Environmental Protection Li Ganjie, the PM 2.5 density in around 30 cities dropped by more than 11 percent year on year in 2017.

"In general, our ecology and environmental protection still lags behind economic and social development and remains a key concern for the public. Therefore, we have to make greater and harder efforts to prevent and control pollution and improve the quality of the environment."

The minister says over the past five years since the enforcement of "Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Air Pollution", the goal for the first stage has materialized, but the overall situation remains stern.

"There are, in fact, still many problems in our air pollution control. To address these problems, it requires our huge efforts and the ultimate goal cannot be achieved in a day."

He also said China will further cut pollution, aiming to keep the air clear.

"We will work out a plan on defending the blue sky. We will continue to control pollution brought by the use of scattered coal and motor vehicles, promote the use of clean energy in winter heating in north China and complete the coal-to-gas and coal-to-electricity projects for four million households."

The key areas to be covered by the plan are the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and surrounding areas, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Fenhe and Weihe plain.

The goals are to reduce the PM2.5 density in all Chinese prefecture-level cities and above by two percent on average year on year by the end of this year, and to increase the number of good air quality days in these cities to 80 percent by 2020.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection will also further intensify the supervision system.

"We've written the prescription and even got the medicine. We need to make everyone take it. Everyone must swing into action and strive for even better result in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas and the two plus 26 cities. Having set the targets, we must have people to see to it that they are fulfilled."

China's State Council issued the Action Plan on Prevention and Control of Air Pollution in 2013.

It outlined key measures to be implemented and serves as a guideline for the national efforts to prevent and control air pollution for the present and in the near future.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Environmental Protection also says all Chinese cities will disclose safety conditions of drinking water this year.

Remediation of drinking water sources is listed among the priorities in China's water pollution control for 2018.