China News Service:

The CPC Central Committee and the State Council have issued the Outline of National Water Network Construction Plan, offering explicit instructions and requirements for accelerating the establishment of the national water network. I would like to ask about the current progress and achievements of the national water network construction project.

Zhang Xiangwei:

The MWR has faithfully implemented the deployment of the Outline of National Water Network Construction Plan, and, in conjunction with relevant departments and local authorities, has accelerated the development of the national water network, achieving significant results. This is mainly manifested in four aspects:

First, the core structure and aorta of the national water network have improved at a faster pace. The initial phase of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project's Central Route has cumulatively transferred 65.4 billion cubic meters of water, directly benefiting a population of 176 million. At the same time, we have actively promoted the high-quality development of follow-up projects for the South-to-North Water Diversion, and in 2022, construction began on the Middle Line Diversion from the Yangtze River to the Han River, marking the start of the high-quality development for the follow-up projects of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. This project connects two important nodes of the national water network: the Three Gorges and Danjiangkou reservoirs, both of which are strategically important water sources for our country. It will increase the annual water transfer capacity of the South-to-North Water Diversion Central Route from 9.5 billion cubic meters to 11.5 billion cubic meters, further enhancing the integrated allocation capacity of water resources in the Yangtze River, Han River, and the North China Plain.

Second, a number of cross-basin and cross-region major water diversion projects have been completed, yielding substantial benefits. The first phase of the Yangtze River-to-Huaihe River Diversion Project achieved successful trial water diversion and navigation at the end of last year. This historic "handshake" between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River will generate significant comprehensive benefits in terms of urban and rural water supplies, the development of the Yangtze-Huaihe River shipping route, and the enhancements to the ecological environment, benefiting a population of 51 million people in 15 cities in Anhui and Henan provinces. In addition, the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River water diversion project in Shaanxi started diverting water, bringing together the waters of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River in the Guanzhong Plain, benefiting more than 14 million people in the Guanzhong and northern Shaanxi regions. Furthermore, the Ebei North Water Resources Project in Hubei has achieved full water supply, benefiting over 4.8 million people and more than 3.8 million acres of farmland in northern Hubei.

Third, the construction of key projects in the national water network has accelerated significantly. While speeding up the progress of a number of ongoing projects such as the Dianzhong Water Diversion, East Zhuang in the Yellow River Basin, and Datengxia in the Pearl River Basin, we have also started construction on several strategically important backbone projects last year, including the second phase of the Yangtze River-to-Huaihe River Diversion Project, the Guangdong Water Resources Allocation Project in the Beibu Gulf region, and the second phase of the Huaihe River Estuary Waterway. This year, we have also started construction on key projects like the Jilin Water Network Backbone Project and the Xiongan Canal of the South-to-North Water Diversion Central Route. These projects will play a crucial role in ensuring water security for the implementation of key national strategies and the promotion of high-quality regional development.

Fourth, the planning and construction of water networks at provincial, municipal, and county levels are advanced in a coordinated manner. Last year, the MWR initiated the construction of the first batch of seven provincial-level water network pilot zones, forming a set of exemplary practices in terms of organization, project advancement, digital twin water network construction, and institutional mechanism innovation. Guided by these pilot zones, various provinces have actively promoted the construction of water networks at the provincial, municipal, and county level, focusing on connecting the "last mile" of water networks.

Next, the MWR will focus on the overall objective of comprehensively enhancing national water security. We will put into action the requirements of the Outline of National Water Network Construction Plan, vigorously promote the high-quality development of follow-up initiatives for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, expedite the groundwork of several major water projects to facilitate prompt commencement of construction. At the same time, we will guide localities in actively promoting the planning and construction of water networks at provincial, municipal, and county level and accelerate the improvement of the overall framework of the national water network. Thank you.