On May 3, the Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team gave feedback in Shijiazhuang Municipality, capital of Hebei Province in North China to the CPC Hebei provincial committee and the provincial government about an earlier inspection campaign. The feedback meeting was chaired by Zhao Yong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Hebei provincial committee. Leader of the inspection team Zhou Jian circulated the inspection results. Secretary of the CPC Hebei provincial committee Zhao Kezhi delivered remarks as the response to the feedback. Vice Minister Zhao Yingmin, members of the inspection team, leadership of the provincial Party committee and of the provincial government, as well as leading officials of relevant departments attended the meeting.
On May 4, Vice Minister Zhao Yingmin met in Beijing with Alain Noudehou, UN Resident Coordinator & UNDP Resident Representative in China. The two sides exchanged views on environmental issues of common concern.
On the same day, the inception ceremony of the project “Marching towards Ecological Civilization-Solute to the Pioneers of Environmental Protection”, which was organized by China Environmental Protection Foundation together with other organizations, was held in Beijing. Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua delivered remarks at the ceremony.
On the same day, MEP adopted three national environmental protection standards- Technical Guidelines for Biodiversity Monitoring—Aquatic Vascular Plants, Technical Guidelines for Biodiversity Monitoring—Honey Bees, and Specifications Test Methods for Automatic/On-line Monitor of Total Chromium in Water, which shall be effective as of August 1, 2016.
On May 5, MEP held a general debate on innovation & reform promotion meeting under the “two learn one to do” education campaign. Minister Chen Jining delivered remarks at the debate/meeting, which was moderated by Vice Minister Li Ganjie. Leader of the Permanent Discipline Inspection Team Zhou Ying, Vice Minister Zhao Yingmin, and Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua attended the event. Participants also included the officials at the director level or above from the internal departments, the leadership of the Beijing-based affiliated institutions, and the leading officials of the affiliates elsewhere.
On May 6, Hebei Provincial Meeting on Environmental Protection was held in Shijiazhuang Municipality, Hebei Province. Minister Chen Jining delivered remarks at the meeting. Secretary of the CPC Hebei provincial committee Zhao Kezhi made overall plans for the province’s environmental protection work. Governor Zhang Qingwei chaired the meeting. Afterwards, Chen Jining went on an inspection tour to Shijiazhuang Municipal Air Gradient Monitoring Station, with accompany of Zhang Qingwei and Secretary of the CPC Shijiazhuang municipal committee Sun Ruibin.
On May 10, MEP organized a meeting to mobilize and make plans for the first round inspection campaign in 2016. Secretary of the Leading Party Group and Minister Chen Jining delivered remarks at the meeting, which was chaired by a Leading Party member and Vice Minister Li Ganjie. Members of the leading team for inspection campaigns under the Leading Party Group participated in the meeting.
On May 16, MEP adopted the Stationary Source Emissions－Determination of Hydrogen Chloride－Silver Nitrate Titration (HJ 548-2016) and five more standards as national environmental protection standards, which shall take effect as of August 1, 2016. Stationary Source Emissions－Determination of Hydrogen Chloride－Silver Nitrate Titration (on trial) (HJ 548-2009) and two more standards shall be abolished as of the date on which the above six standards take effect.
On May 18, Minister Chen Jining chaired the ministerial executive meeting, which deliberated and adopted in principle the Regulations on the Environmental Management of Construction Projects (draft amendment), and discussed and adopted the review results of the EIS of the projects on diverting water from Yangtze River to Huaihe River. Leader of the Permanent Discipline Inspection Team Zhou Ying, Vice Ministers Li Ganjie and Huang Runqiu, and Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua attended the meeting. Participants also included the leading officials of the internal departments.
On May 22, a meeting was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to celebrate the International Biodiversity Day & 60th anniversary of the development of nature reserves in China. Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC Han Qide delivered remarks at the meeting. MEP Minister Chen Jining and Deputy Administrator of State Forestry Administration Chen Fengxue also made statements. The Executive Secretary of Convention on Biological Diversity sent a video speech, and relevant UN agencies sent congratulatory letters. Vice Minister Li Ganjie chaired the meeting, which honored the advanced collectives and individuals in nature reserves administrations in China.
On May 24, the CCICED Roundtable on Environmental Governance and Green Transformation was held in Brussels, Belgium. MEP Minister and CCICED Chinese Executive Co-chairperson Chen Jining and Vice President of European Commission Jyrki Katainen attended the roundtable. Delegates from Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, Mission of China to EU, European Environment Agency, German and Netherlandish government departments, and international think tanks presented at the roundtable.
On the same day, Minister Chen Jining met with Vice President of European Commission Jyrki Katainen in Brussels, Belgium. The two sides exchanged views on circular economy, green development, economic transformation, and other issues.
On the same day, the sixth China-EU Ministerial Environmental Policy Dialogue was held in the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. MEP Minister Chen Jining and Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, presented at the dialogue and signed the minutes of the sixth China-EU Ministerial Environmental Policy Dialogue.
On May 26, the high-level segment of the second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) was held in the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi. MEP Minister Chen Jining headed a Chinese Government delegation to the event and delivered a keynote speech. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed the opening ceremony. UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner made a policy report. On the sidelines of the event, Chen met separately with Edgar Gutiérrez, Costa Rica’s Environment Minister and Chairman of the second session of the UNEA; Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; Erik Solheim, UNEP Executive Director designate; Judy Wakhungu, Kenyan Environment Minister; Gabel, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State; and Sahle-Work Zewde, UN Deputy Secretary General and UNON Director General. They had exchanges and discussions on enhanced future cooperation.
On the same day, the MEP-UNEP press conference for the reports of “Options for Sustainable Development” and “Clean Waters and Green Mountains are Golden and Silver Mountains: China Strategy and Action on Ecological Civilization” was held in the UNEP headquarter in Nairobi. MEP Minister Chen Jining and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner addressed the press conference.
On May 31, the State Council printed and distributed the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Soil Pollution.
