We must conserve resources. First, we need to use a combination of means, particularly pricing and taxation, to promote the rational exploitation and economical use of resources. Second, we need to work quickly to establish or improve standards for conserving energy, water, land and materials in all industries, develop key projects that save energy and materials, and promote more intensive utilization of land. We will encourage development of products that save energy and resources and construction of buildings that conserve energy and land. Third, we need to strongly promote upgrading of equipment and technology, focusing on saving energy and decreasing consumption of materials, and more quickly eliminate production processes, technologies and equipment products that waste energy, water and raw materials. Fourth, we need to work hard to develop the circular economy. A number of circular economy pilot projects will be conducted in key industries, industrial zones, and urban and rural areas. We will improve preferential tax policies for comprehensive utilization of resources and recycling of recyclable waste, and promote comprehensive utilization of waste materials and recovery and recycling of used resources. Fifth, we need to improve all facets of management, include the amount of energy and materials saved when compiling statistics on and evaluating economic and social development, and set up a system for releasing information on a regular basis. Beginning this year, the energy consumption per unit of output for all regions and major industries will be made public on an annual basis. Sixth, we need to carry out an extensive and long-term resource conservation campaign throughout the country to heighten public awareness of the need to conserve resources.

We will accelerate the development of an environment-friendly society. We will strengthen ecological protection of water sources, land, forests, grassland, oceans and other natural resources, with emphasis on preventing and treating pollution in the watersheds of the Huai, Hai, Liao and Songhua rivers, Tai, Chao and Dianchi lakes, and the Three Gorges Reservoir area, and at the sources and along the routes of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. In addition, we will promote clean production and develop projects for treating industrial wastewater. We will work hard to prevent and control air pollution nationwide and increase the proportion of sewage treated and household refuse safely disposed of in key cities. We will take comprehensive measures to control rural pollution from non-point sources and pollution from livestock and poultry farming. We will continue projects to protect the natural environment. We will promptly create a mechanism for ecological compensation. We will strengthen law enforcement and improve inspections to monitor environmental and ecological protection. We will improve the systems for monitoring and evaluating environmental protection and for determining accountability for environmental problems.

4. Continuing to promote balanced development among regions

We will carry forward the development of the western region and give special support to the development of key areas, cities and industries there. We will ensure that ongoing major projects such as the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the third phase of the Three Gorges Project are completed and put into operation, and launch a number of major construction projects. We will consolidate and build upon progress made in returning cultivated land to forests and returning grazing land to grassland, and quickly adopt follow-up policies. We will continue ecological projects such as those for protecting virgin forests, bringing sources of dust storms under control and preventing the spread of stony deserts. We will support the development of competitive industries and bases for producing products distinctive to the area. We will speed up the development of science, technology and education. We need to intensify policy support and increase transfer payments to accelerate establishment of long-term, stable funding channels for developing the western region.

We will continue to implement the strategy of rejuvenating northeast China and other old industrial bases. We will focus on developing large grain production bases, and on promoting reform, reorganization and technological upgrading in key industries. We need to successfully transform the economies of cities whose local natural resources have been exhausted, address the problem of sinkholes in coal mining areas, turn shantytowns into new housing areas, and promptly set up mechanisms to compensate for resource depletion and to aid declining industries. We will conduct pilot projects for reforming some collectively owned factories operated by state-owned enterprises and cities. We will fully implement policy measures for opening wider to the outside world and follow a new path of rejuvenation as we accelerate the reform and opening up process.

We will energetically promote the rise of the central region. We will take full advantage of its strengths based on its geographical position, resources, industries and manpower. We will focus on developing modern agriculture, in particular developing commercial grain bases in major grain-producing areas, developing bases for producing energy and important raw materials, and developing a comprehensive modern transportation system, a modern retail distribution system and a modern market system. We will support the rejuvenation of old industrial bases and transformation of resource-dependant cities and develop bases for modern equipment manufacturing and high technology industries. We will give major cities a greater role in stimulating the development of surrounding areas.