Phoenix Satellite Television:

The law on the conservation of the Yellow River was passed at the standing committee session of the National People's Congress on Oct. 30, 2022 and took effect on April 1 of this year. It has become a new milestone in the protection and governance of the Yellow River. What measures will be taken by the MWR next to advance relevant work? Thank you.

Li Guoying:

The promulgation of the law on the conservation of the Yellow River provides legal protection to promote ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin. The MWR will resolutely perform duties in accordance with the law and work on the six aspects to ensure the implementation of the law on the conservation of the Yellow River. 

First, we will give priority to the development of supporting institutions. We will review the requirements concerning the development of supporting institutions, speed up developing relevant supporting institutions, improve the system of institutions and standards for water conservancy in the Yellow River basin, and advance the orderly linking up, coordination, and unification of laws, institutions, and rules.

Second, we will improve the water conservancy planning system for the protection and management of the Yellow River. We will work to review the implementation of and revise plans concerning the Yellow River basin and give play to the guiding and binding role of plans. At present, we have approved and implemented the plan for the protection and utilization of important river courses and shorelines and initiated the revision of the plan for flood prevention in the Yellow River basin across the board.

Third, we will enhance security in water and sediment regulation and flood prevention of the Yellow River. We will improve the water and sediment regulation system and accelerate the establishment of a system of flood prevention projects in the Yellow River basin, mainly consisting of reservoirs, river courses, embankments, and flood storage and detention space. We will move faster to initiate and construct flood-control reservoir projects and develop flood prevention projects in the lower reach of the Yellow River and ensure the embankments in its upper reach meet standards. We will improve the plan for water and sediment regulation in the Yellow River basin and enhance the unified coordination and management within the basin. 

Fourth, we will promote the economical and intensive use of water resources in the Yellow River basin. We will uphold the guideline of "prioritizing water conservation," impose rigid constraints on water resources, control both the amount and intensity of water withdrawal and use, and strictly implement water resource assessments and the permit system for water withdrawal to make solid progress in the battle to further save water in the Yellow River basin.

Fifth, we will strengthen the conservation and restoration of water ecosystems in the Yellow River basin. We will enhance the management and control of the ecological flow and water level of the Yellow River's mainstream and tributaries. We will focus on the prevention and control of soil erosion in key areas, tighten the regulation of human-induced soil erosion, and continue to take comprehensive measures to control the over-abstraction of groundwater.

Sixth, we will improve our capacity and level of river basin management. We will establish and improve joint meeting mechanisms for river and lake chiefs at the provincial level. We will step up collective law enforcement, enhance the development of mechanisms for joint case handling, clue transfer, and coordination across river basins, and continue to make law enforcement more effective. We will work with the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Justice to launch a special law enforcement campaign to protect the security of rivers and lakes. We will collaborate with the Supreme People's Procuratorate to initiate a special campaign to protect water resources in the Yellow River basin, build a coordination platform for procuratorial public-interest litigation in the basin, and take practical measures to improve the governance and management capacities of the river basin. Thank you. 

Shou Xiaoli:

Thanks to all the speakers and friends from the media. Today's briefing is hereby concluded. See you.

Translated and edited by Wang Yiming, Wang Qian, Gong Yingchun, Zhou Jing, Huang Shan, Qin Qi, Wang Wei, Xiang Bin, Li Huiru, Zhang Rui, Liu Sitong, Liu Caiyi, Yuan Fang, Xu Xiaoxuan, Yang Xi, Xu Kailin, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.