Environmental Protection Minister Xie Zhenhua vowed that China will continue to do its utmost to reduce the discharge of ozone-depleting substances.

On Wednesday, Xie received the World Bank's annual Green Award for his outstanding leadership in protecting the ozone layer, work that was funded by the bank.

"The award confirmed China's devotion to environmental protection in recent years, especially in preserving the critical layer of the atmosphere,'' Xie told a press conference in Beijing Friday.

World Bank statistics indicate that, of the total amount by which discharges of ozone-depleting substances have decreased, half is due to efforts by China.

Since 1991, China has shut down numerous companies that produced or consumed ozone-depleting substances such as freon. The nation approved the Montreal Protocol in 1991 and this set deadlines and quotas for all countries to gradually eliminate the production and use of volatile chemicals that destroy the ozone layer, according to Xie.

"One of the latest developments is the establishment of an industrial park in Langfang in North China's Hebei Province. The park has gathered enterprises that promote ozone-friendly technologies to fulfill the commitments to the protocol,'' Xie said.

The minister said foreign capital is welcome to take part in China's burgeoning environmental protection industry.

"Market opportunities can be found in many environmental protection sectors, including urban sewage farms, refuse dumps, power plants, motor vehicle exhausts and consultation services,'' Xie said.

The output value of China's environmental protection industry was 170 billion yuan (US$20.56 billion) last year and has been growing at an annual rate of 15 per cent. It is predicted that the total investment in environmental protection will reach 700 billion yuan (US$84.5 billion) for the period between 2001 and 2005.

At Friday's press conference, the minister denied a recent report by the Washington Post, which said that some worn-out ships in the United States will be sent to China for disassembly.

"Some US organizations did contact my administration about the issue but no decision has been made prior to further communication and research,'' Xie said.

(China Daily March 15, 2003)