Xie Zhenhua, director of the State Environmental Protection
Administration, said Friday that a minimum investment that accounts
for 1.5 percent of the gross domestic product is needed to
basically control pollution arising from economic development.
Xie told a news conference that over the past five years China
invested 580 billion yuan (about US$70.13) or 1.2 percent of its
GDP in environmental protection and biological construction, of
which 480 to 490 billion yuan was channeled to pollution
control.
He
said that experience of foreign countries and China's own practice
have proven that if the input in environmental protection can reach
1.5 percent of the GDP, pollution problems can be brought under
control; and if the input exceeds 1.5 percent of the GDP, the
environment can be improved.
(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2003)
|