Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group: 

We know that the central government environmental inspection, as a sword of environmental protection, has played an important role in solving many related problems over the years. What practical and effective measures have been taken, and what results have been achieved? How will environmental inspections be carried out in the future?

Zhai Qing:

Thank you for your question. Central government environmental inspection is a major institutional innovation and reform measure personally planned, deployed, and promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping. It is a major achievement and institutional guarantee of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. At every key link and moment of the inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping has steered the direction and led the way forward. He has delivered important speeches and made major instructions on multiple occasions, and has personally reviewed the work arrangement, inspection reports, rectification proposals, and implementation reports, providing guidance and fundamental principles for the inspection work.

Since the beginning of the pilot project at the end of 2015, two rounds of inspections have been completed, covering 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. We also inspected some departments and centrally-administrated enterprises. During the inspections, we adhered to the correct political direction, kept the implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization as a major political task, and took the implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions as the top priority. Keeping the big picture in mind, we have coordinated economic performance, people's wellbeing, epidemic prevention and control, and ecological protection. We have taken strictness and problem-oriented approaches as the lifelines of inspections, and faced up to problems and took real actions. Moreover, we have taken a calibrated, scientific, and law-based approach to conducting inspections so as to ensure that the results can withstand the test of history and practice.

Over the past few years, inspection work has achieved remarkable results, with "recognition from the central government, praise from the people, support from all social sectors, and having many problems resolved." The remarkable political, economic, environmental, and social effects can be specified in the following aspects:

First, inspection work has promoted the implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. Through inspections, Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization has been carried forward. The general secretary's important instructions on ecological civilization and environmental protection have been resolutely implemented, and the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" has become a consensus throughout the Party and society.

Second, the political responsibility for ecological civilization has been made clear. All regions and departments have improved their political stance and regarded inspections as a major political task, a major project for people's wellbeing, and a major development issue. We have ensured that both the Party and government organs are held accountable and taken responsibility for ecological civilization and ecological protection.

Third, a large number of prominent eco-environmental problems have been solved. Inspections focused on prominent conflicts and major problems in the eco-environmental field, and have completed tough tasks and solved complicated problems and a number of long-overdue issues. These problems can be divided into two categories: the first is problems that have been specified individually in the supervision and rectification plans, and the second is environmental complaints raised by the people during the inspection period. Of all the 3,294 tasks specified in the plan for first round of supervision and rectification, nearly 96% have been completed. Nearly 60% of the 1,227 tasks specified in the plan for the first three batches of the second round rectification have been completed, and the fourth to sixth batch of the second round rectification are being carried out in an active and orderly manner. Two rounds of inspections have handled 287,000 complaints of problems related to environmental matters from the people, and 286,000 of them have been completed or have achieved phased completion.

Fourth, the inspections have promoted high-quality economic development. The inspections urged all localities to unswervingly follow the path which gives primary consideration to protecting ecosystems and pursuing green development, to jointly promote high-quality economic development and high-level protection of the ecological environment.

Going forward, we will conscientiously study and understand the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, constantly improve political stances, comprehensively summarize the practical experience of inspections, make systematic plans to carry out the third round of inspections, remain committed, adhere to the strict tone, strive to solve prominent eco-environmental problems, make continued efforts to meet the people's aspiration for a beautiful ecological environment, and contribute to building a beautiful China where there is harmony between humanity and nature. Thank you.