The No.4 Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team stationed in Guangdong Province a couple of days ago to launch environmental inspection there, upon the approval of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, in an effort to implement the major decisions and deployments of them on environmental protection inspection. The inspection team held a mobilization meeting in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province in South China on Nov. 28. The team leader Lu Hao and deputy team leader Zhai Qing delivered remarks on doing well in the inspection. Secretary of the CPC Guangdong provincial committee Hu Chunhua delivered a mobilization speech. The meeting was chaired by Zhu Xiaodan, Governor of the provincial government.
Lu Hao pointed out that the environmental protection inspection is one of the major institutional arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for promoting ecological progress and protecting the environment. General Secretary Xi Jinping highly valued it, and required taking it as a cutting point to promote ecological progress, highlighting the equal responsibility of the Party and the government for environmental protection, and tightening the implementation of “one position with two responsibilities” system. With respect to the pilot inspection in Hebei Province, General Secretary Xi made important instructions and required adhering to the problem-oriented principle, putting great efforts in revealing problems, being brave to take a serious attitude, paying close attention to this task, and making new headways with the ecological progress. Moreover, Premier Li Keqiang emphasized in this year’s government work report that we will tighten environmental protection inspection, mete out rewards and punishments accordingly, summarize the good practices from the inspection on Hebei, improve the institutions and measures, and enable the local environmental protection efforts to be taken up to new levels. Liu Yunshan, Zhang Gaoli and other central leaders also made important instructions on and put forward specific requirements for the inspection effort.
Lu Hao stressed that the inspection team stationed in Guangdong to, first and foremost, inspect how well the provincial Party committee and provincial government have implemented the national decisions and deployments for environmental protection, solved pressing environmental problems, and taken the main responsibility for protecting the environment in the province, and to urge Guangdong to promote ecological progress, protect the environment, and advance green development. The team will adhere to the problem-oriented principle, monitor closely the pressing environmental problems that have raised high attention of the central authorities, are strongly complained by the public, and have bad social ramifications, as well as how they are settled; inspect the areas and watersheds with deteriorating environmental quality and how they are treated; oversee if there is any nonfeasance or misconduct by the local Party committee and relevant government departments; and get to know how the municipal Party committee and municipal government have shared the responsibility for protecting the environment, how the “one position with two responsibilities” system has been implemented, and how the liabilities are accounted for.
In response, Hu Chunhua pointed it out that the central inspection team came to Guangdong for an inspection, which fully demonstrated the close attention, concern, and support given by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for promoting local ecological progress and protecting the local environment. He called upon the entire province, local governments and departments to earnestly study the guidelines of the important statements of General Secretary Xi Jinping on eco-environmental protection, thoroughly practice the green development concept, fully recognize the importance and necessity of the environmental inspection, align our thoughts and actions with the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, and with the inspection requirements, and accept the inspection voluntarily and sincerely. They will, from the vintage point of stressing political awareness and the greater good, spare no effort in collaborating with the work plans of the inspection team, take a serious attitude towards the inspection, truthfully report the progress of Guangdong in advancing environmental protection and reveal the weak links and pressing problems with local environmental protection, rectify the revealed problems by treating both symptoms and root causes, make sure the inspection goes smoothly, and advance local ecological civilization development and environmental protection.
At the meeting, Zhai Qing proposed requirements for good cooperation with the inspection effort. Members of the inspection team, officials concerned with the National Office of Environmental Protection Inspection, and leadership of the provincial Party committee and provincial government attended the meeting. Leading officials of the provincial people’s congress and local political advisory committees, leading officials of the relevant departments under the provincial Party committee and government, as well as the leadership of municipal Party committee and municipal government observed the meeting. The leading officials of the Party committees and governments of other prefectural cities, as well as the persons-in-charge of relevant departments observed the meeting via video teleconference.
The No.4 Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team is scheduled to be stationed in Guangdong for about one month from Nov. 28 to Dec. 28, 2016. The telephone is 020-83345565. The postal address is Mailbox #850, Guangzhou Municipality, 510180. The inspection team will take phone calls between 08:00 and 20:00. According to the requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and the terms of reference of the inspection team, the team will accept and process complaints by letter and by telephone in respect of environmental protection in Guangdong. Other problems falling out of the purview of the team will be transferred to the regions, organizations and departments concerned.
