According to the annual environment report by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), China's environmental quality remained stable last year, while the country enjoyed an economic growth rate of 7 percent.

Total pollutant discharge was roughly kept at the same level as in the previous year, the report said. The nationwide industrial solid waste discharge totaled 28.9 million tons, a 9.2 percent drop from the figure for the previous year.

Pollution in all seven major rivers around the country increased to some extent last year, with the water quality of the Yellow, Huaihe and Liaohe rivers suffering the most because of their dramatic drops in water volume.

Coastal pollution remained serious in the East China and Bohai seas.

Urban air quality was almost the same as for the year 2000, but total suspended particulate (TSP) pollution became more widely spread.

Acid rain fell on around 30 percent of the country's territory but the number of cities affected was slightly reduced, according to the report.

Most cities around the country were slightly affected by noise pollution, said the report.

Zhu Jianqiu, vice-minister with SEPA, also drew attention to the country's problem of increasing desertification when answering questions from the media.

He said: "China places a high priority on combating desertification."

According to Zhu, China's deserts and desertified areas cover 2.42 million square kilometers, with an annual expansion of more than 3,000 square kilometers.

More than 90 percent of usable natural grasslands in China, with a total area of 135 million hectares, suffered varying degrees of degradation last year, according to Zhu.

Statistics from the ministry indicate that sand storms last year were more serious than in the previous year in terms of frequency and intensity, with 18 sand storms covering 45 days from March to May last year in northwestern, northern and northeastern parts of China.

Zhu also pledged yesterday at the press conference, which was held by the State Council Information Office and the SEPA, that the Chinese Government would resolutely fight against pollution and consistently improve the country's environment to make it possible to achieve sustainable development.

"To protect the environment and resources is to ensure productivity and improving the environment helps propel the productivity,'' said Zhu, quoting President Jiang Zemin's previous remarks on the country's environmental protection work.

The report also covered other environmental issues such as nuclear radiation, forest conservation, soil erosion, biological diversity, the ecological situation in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, red tides, and progress of major environmental projects across the country.

(China Daily June 1, 2002)