On Jan. 4, MEP organized a symposium among local EPBs on the train of thought in environmental protection during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) and the year 2016. Vice Minister Li Ganjie chaired and spoke at the symposium. Party and government leading officials and directors of the EPBs of 11 cities and districts (counties) attended the event.
On Jan. 6, MEP activated a contingency plan against the possible radiation from the nuclear test of North Korea, and launched a full-scale emergency monitoring of radiation environment in Northeast China and surrounding area, to make sure the radiation safety in the northeast border and surrounding area.
On Jan. 8, Minister Chen Jining met in Beijing with Prof. Lee C. Bollinger, President of Columbia University in the City of New York. The two sides exchanged views on further cooperation in the environment field.
On the same day, MEP adopted the Technical Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment―Groundwater Environment as one of the national environmental protection standard, which shall take effect as of the date of promulgation.
On Jan. 11, MEP held a warning education briefing. Secretary of the Leading Party Group and Minister Chen Jining chaired and spoke at the briefing. Zhou Ying, a member of the Leading Party Group and Chief of the Discipline Inspection Group, also spoke at the event. Deputy Secretary of the Leading Party Group and Vice Minister Pan Yue, Vice Ministers Wu Xiaoqing, Li Ganjie, and Zhai Qing, and Chief Engineer Zhao Yingmin attended the briefing. Other participants included the staff of the internal departments, the leadership team and Party and discipline inspection officials of the Beijing-based regional offices and affiliated institutions, and leading officials of affiliated institutions elsewhere in the country.
On Jan. 11, the 2016 National Working Conference on Environmental Protection was held in Beijing. Premier Li Keqiang and Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli made important instructions on this event. In his instructions, Premier Li noted that in 2015, all branches of environmental protection have followed the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, made substantial efforts in protecting the environment, and made new headways in terms of advancing pollution control, tightening environmental enforcement, and deepening reforms in the environment sector. He would like to take this opportunity to express his sincere regards to the comrades and hoped that in the coming year, efforts will be made to firmly hold on to the five development concept, make overall plans for development and protection, focus on improvement of air, water, and soil environment, give play to the role of market mechanism, step up pollution control and ecological conservation, work harder in integrated rural environment management, accelerate the development of energy conservation and environmental protection industry, tighten the control of environmental risks, and make greater contributions to achieving win-win in economic development and environmental improvement, and completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Minister Chen Jining spoke at the conference which was chaired by Vice Minister Pan Yue. Vice Minister Wu Xiaoqing, Chief of the Discipline Inspection Group Zhou Ying, Vice Ministers Li Ganjie and Zhai Qing, Chief Engineer Zhao Yingmin, Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua, and some senior leaders presented at the event. Participants also included the officials with relevant departments under the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, Director Generals of the EPDs/EPBs of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, sub-provincial cities, the PLA, and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, leading officials of Liaohe and Linghe Nature Reserve Administration, as well as leading officials with internal departments, regional offices, and affiliated institutions of MEP.
On Jan. 12, the 2016 National Working Conference on Environmental Protection was closed in Beijing. The conference was held under the guidance of the important speeches of General Secretary Xi Jinping, conveyed the important instructions of Premier Li Keqiang and Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, and made overall plans for the environmental protection work in the 13th Five-Year Plan period and in 2016. Minister Chen Jining emphasized the need to hold onto the core of environmental improvement throughout all fronts and the whole process of environmental protection, accelerate the change of ideological ideas and working thoughts and methodologies, and make a good start for the environmental protection effort in the 13th Five-Year Plan period. MEP Vice Ministers Pan Yue, Li Ganjie, and Zhai Qing, Chief Engineer Zhao Yingmin, and Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua attended the event. Participants also included the Director Generals of the EPDs (EPBs) of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, Sub-provincial cities, the PLA, and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the Administrator of Liaohe and Linghe Nature Reserve, as well as the leading officials of internal departments, regional offices, and affiliated institutions of MEP.
On the same day, MEP released a bulletin on the record-filing of local environmental quality standards and emission standards.
On Jan. 13, Minister Chen Jining met with Mr. Richard H. Brodhead, President of Duke University, in Beijing, and the two had an in-depth discussion over cooperation of environmental protection.
On the same day, MEP Vice Minister and NNSA Administrator Li Ganjie met with Mr. Doru Romulus Costea, Romanian Ambassador to China, in Beijing. They exchanged views on issues of common concern such as the development of nuclear power industry and nuclear safety and signed a cooperation agreement between China and Romania on nuclear safety.
On Jan. 14, Minister Chen Jining met with Mr. Dominic Barton, Global Managing Director of McKinsey & Company in Beijing, and the two exchanged views over cooperation in areas like innovative environmental governance, promotion of green growth and advancing environmental investment and financing.
On the same day, Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua met with Mr. Chan Hoi Chuen, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Beijing. The two sides exchanged views on issues of common concern including nuclear safety regulation and nuclear power development.
On Jan. 15, MEP and MIIT jointly released a bulletin on the implementation of the national Stage Ⅴ motor vehicle emission standard.
On the same day, MEP released a bulletin on the implementation of the national Stage Ⅲ emission standard for air pollutants from diesel engines used by non-road mobile machinery.
On Jan. 19, the China Environment News Press released in Beijing the top 10 national news and top 10 international news in environment sector in 2015. Vice Minister Pan Yue anchored the releasing ceremony.
On Jan. 22, MEP organized a meeting for work report, honesty report, and party building report. Secretary of the Leading Party Group and Minister Chen Jining chaired the meeting. Chief of the Discipline Inspection Group Zhou Ying and Vice Minister Li Ganjie attended the meeting, so did leading officials with the internal departments and Beijing-based affiliated institutions of MEP. The meeting circulated a report on the democratic meeting of the Leading Party Group about the "three stricts and three honests" campaign in 2015.
On the same day, MEP organized a workshop in Beijing on the control and management of pollution from scatted coal combustion in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area. Chief Engineer Zhao Yingmin spoke at the workshop.
On the same day, MEP printed and distributed the Management Specification for National Model Zones for Promoting Ecological Progress (on trial), and Measuring Indicators for Model Counties and Cities for Promoting Ecological Progress (on trial).
On Jan. 25, MEP printed and distributed a bulletin on granting 22 municipalities and counties (cities, districts) including Chongming County in Shanghai and Zhuhai Municipality in Guangdong the title of "national eco-municipality, eco-county (eco-city, eco-district)".
On Jan. 26, Vice Minister Li Ganjie met in Beijing with Mr. Qinggele, State Secretary for the Environment, Green Development and Tourism Department, Mongolia. Both sides exchanged views on issues of common concern including bilateral cooperation in the environment field.
On Jan. 27, MEP organized the third general debate on nuclear and radiation safety regulation. Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua spoke at the meeting.
On Jan. 28, MEP held a Gathering of Retired Officials in Beijing to Celebrate the 2016 Spring Festival. Minister Chen Jining, on behalf of MEP Leading Party Group, presented Spring Festival greetings to the retired officials and comrades. Vice Minister Wu Xiaoqing chaired the gathering.
Between Jan. 28 and 29, MEP organized the 2015 annual wrap-up meeting on nuclear and radiation safety regulation. Vice Minister Li Ganjie spoke at the meeting, which was chaired by Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua.
On Jan. 29, Minister Chen Jining chaired the ministerial executive meeting, which considered and adopted in principle the "Master Plan for the Development of Mega-data on Ecological Environment" and the "Measures on the Assessment of the Performance in Implementation of the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Water Pollution" (on trial), and discussed the opinions on the review of the EIS of Chengdu New Airport Project. Vice Ministers Pan Yue and Wu Xiaoqing, Chief Engineer of the Discipline Inspection Group Zhou Ying, Vice Ministers Li Ganjie and Zhai Qing, and Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua attended the meeting. Participants also included the leading officials of internal departments of MEP.
On the same day, Minister Chen Jining chaired the ministerial executive meeting, which considered and adopted in principle the Administrative Measures on the Safety Regulation in Transportation of Radioactive Substances. Vice Ministers Pan Yue and Wu Xiaoqing, Chief Engineer of the Discipline Inspection Group Zhou Ying, Vice Ministers Li Ganjie and Zhai Qing, and Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua attended the meeting. Participants also included the leading officials of internal departments of MEP.
On Jan. 30, Minister Chen paid a visit to senior Comrade Qu Geping and expressed sincere regards and New Spring blessings.
