China News Service:

The white paper introduces the legal framework of China's marine eco-environmental protection. I would like to ask, what work has China done in this regard? How can the marine eco-environment be protected through the rule of law? Thank you.

Guo Fang:

Thank you for your questions. A sound ecological environment must rely on the rule of law. We often say that we control pollution in a targeted, law-based and science-driven approach, with the legal framework for pollution control being the core concept in China's eco-environmental protection. This means we should rigorously carry out supervision following the laws and regulations, and protect the ocean with the strictest system and the strictest rule of law. I would like to answer your questions from two aspects: legislation and enforcement.

First, in terms of legislation, China has formulated a comprehensive law on marine eco-environmental protection, namely, the Marine Environmental Protection Law. Since 2012, it has been amended three times and revised once. In particular, the Marine Environmental Protection Law was revised last year to 124 articles in nine chapters from 97 articles in 10 chapters, with 27 articles added, while only eight articles were not revised. There have been many institutional innovations and practical measures. For example, land and sea planning is regarded as a principle of marine eco-environmental protection, with detailed provisions focusing on marine garbage management, supervision of sea-entering sewage discharge outlets, and the prevention and control of polluted river water entering the sea, while the scope, intensity, methods and procedures of punishments were expanded. 

The Wetlands Protection Law, the Fisheries Law, and the Coast Guard Law respectively make specific provisions on the protection of coastal wetlands, marine fishery resources as well as marine environmental law enforcement. 

Besides the national level, local governments in coastal areas are also actively making laws. For example, Hainan province introduced regulations for the protection of coral reefs and giant clams, and Xiamen issued regulations on the protection of the Chinese white dolphin population and their habitat. The effects have been obvious: the Chinese white dolphin population has increased from 60 in the early 1990s to nearly 80 now. It is said that citizens in Xiamen's downtown can see the Chinese white dolphin.

Concerning law enforcement, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the China Coast Guard and other departments have established a mechanism for supervision and law enforcement to jointly carry out special law enforcement actions such as "Green Shield" and "Emerald Sea" based on routine patrols and law enforcement. From 2020 to 2022, China conducted more than 19,000 inspections on marine engineering projects, drilling platforms, islands and ocean dumping sites, handled over 360 cases of illegal activities involving land reclamation from the sea, ocean dumping and island eco-environmental damage. Severe punishments have been imposed for violations and crimes in key areas of marine eco-environmental protection.

Next, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will continue to cooperate with legislative agencies in compiling the Ecological Environment Code, improve the legal framework for the marine eco-environment, and protect the marine eco-environment under the rule of law. Thank you.