On Dec. 2, a teleconference was held in Beijing on canvassing and treating informal garbage dumps. MEP Minister Chen Jining and MHURD Minister Chen Zhenggao delivered remarks at the conference. Representatives of the member organizations of the inter-departmental joint meetings, and of the housing and urban-rural development, and environmental protection departments of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, cities separately listed under State plans, and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps also participated.

Between Dec. 2 and 3, the high-level segment of the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Cancun, Mexico. Vice Minister Huang Runqiu headed a Chinese delegation to the segment. On the sidelines of the segment, Huang met separately with Mexican Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Rafael Pacchiano-Alaman, Uganda Minister of Water and Environment Goretti, and Peru’s Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Edgar Vasquez, and exchanged views on environmental issues of common concern.

On Dec. 6, MEP held an enlarged meeting of the central team of the Leading Party Group to convey and learn the guidelines of the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the development of ecological civilization, the important instructions of Premier Li Keqiang, and the statement of Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli at the national meeting on promotion of ecological civilization development. Secretary of the Ministry’s Leading Party Group and Minister Chen Jining chaired and delivered remarks at the meeting.

On the same day, Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety Liu Hua met with Deputy Director General of OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Daniel Iracane. The two sides exchanged views on issues of common concern.

Between Dec. 7 and 9, the 2016 Annual General Meeting of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) was held in Beijing. Zhang Gaoli, a standing member of the Politburo, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Chairperson of CCICED, attended the meeting and delivered an important statement. MEP Minister and Chinese Executive Chairperson of CCICED Chen Jining spoke at the meeting, and MEP Vice Minister and CCICED Secretary General Zhao Yingmin delivered a work report. The international and Chinese Council members, special guests, and observers participated in the event. On the sidelines of the meeting, Chen Jining and UN Deputy Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director Erik Solheim signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China and United Nations Environment Programme on Building Green “Roads and Belts”. Chen also met separately with the visiting delegates and exchanged views on cooperation in the environment field, and they included Catherine McKenna, Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change; Barbara Hendricks, German Federal Minister for the Environment, Natural Conservation, Building, and Nuclear Safety; and Achim Steiner, President of Oxford Martin School, former UN Deputy Secretary General, and former UNEP Executive Director. MEP Vice Minister and CCICED Secretary General Zhao Yingmin met separately with Niels Wikman, Secretary of State for Energy and Policy Coordination Department under the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office; Jos Delbeke, EU Director General for Climate Action; Stephen P. Groff, ADB Vice President; Bill, former Australian Secretary of Department of the Environment and Heritage; and Andrew Steer, President of World Resources Institute.

On Dec. 8, MEP printed and distributed the Technical Policies for the Prevention and Control of Pollution from Co-processing Solid Wastes in Cement Kilns.

On the same day, MEP adopted the national environmental protection standard the Technical Guideline for Environmental Impact Assessment of Construction Project-General Programme (HJ2.1-2016), which shall take effect as of Jan. 1, 2017. The Technical Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment-General programme (HJ2.1-2011) shall be abolished as of the same day.

Between Dec. 11 and 12, the 2016 International High-level Dialogue on Ecological and Environmental Cooperation under the Framework of the Belt and Road Initiative was held in Shenzhen Municipality. Vice Minister Zhai Qing delivered remarks at the dialogue. On the sidelines of the dialogue, Zhai Qing and Mayor of Shenzhen Xu Qin unveiled the plate for the Environmental Technology Exchange and Transfer Center under the Belt and Road Initiative.

On Dec. 11, the 12th Environment and Development Forum was held in Beijing. Liu Hua, Chief Engineer for Nuclear Safety delivered a keynote report at the forum.

On Dec. 12, MEP printed and distributed the Guidelines for Canvassing and Treating the Hazards Causing Environmental Emergencies in Enterprises (on trial).

On Dec. 13, ten State departments including the MWR and MEP jointly held a video conference to mobilize and make deployments for the implementation of the Opinions on Full Implementation of the River Chief System. Vice Minister Zhao Yingmin spoke at the conference.

On the same day, MEP printed and distributed the 2016 National Catalogue of Advanced Technologies for Pollution Prevention and Control (VOCs).

On Dec. 14, MEP held a national working conference on environmental impact assessment. Vice Minister Huang Runqiu spoke at the conference.

Between Dec. 17 and 18, the second Representative Assembly of Chinese Ecological Civilization Research and Promotion Association (CECRPA) & the annual meeting of China Ecological Civilization Forum Haikou Annual Conference was held in Haikou, capital of Hainan Province in South China. A former member with the Politburo Jiang Chunyun spoke at the event and Vice Chairperson of the National Committee of the 11th CPPCC Chen Zongxing delivered a work report. Vice Minister Huang Runqiu attended and delivered a keynote speech.

On Dec. 19, the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress was held in Beijing. Minister Chen Jining spoke before the meeting about the Amendments to the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People’s Republic of China (draft) on behalf of the State Council.

On the same day, MEP held an enlarged meeting of the central team of the Leading Party Group to convey and learn the guidelines of the Central Economic Working Conference. Secretary of the Leading Party Group and Minister Chen Jining chaired and spoke at the meeting.

On Dec. 21, MEP held a teleconference to wrap up the centralization of air quality monitoring powers on a national scale. Vice Minister Zhai Qing spoke at the conference.

On Dec. 23, MEP printed and distributed the Provisional Measures for the Management of Pollution Permit.

On Dec. 25, the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 12th NPC voted on and adopted the Environmental Protection Taxation Law, which shall take effect as of Jan. 1, 2018.

Between Dec. 24 and 25, the 2016 national nature reserve review meeting was held in Beijing. Vice Minister and Director of the Review Committee Huang Runqiu spoke at the meeting.

On Dec. 26, the Supreme People’ Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Ministry of Public Security, and MEP jointly held a news conference in Beijing, circulating the Interpretations of the Supreme People’ Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate on Some Issues Concerning the Application of Laws on Environmental Pollution Criminal Cases, which shall take effect as of Jan. 1, 2017.

On the same day, MEP printed and distributed the Technical Policies for the Prevention and Control of Pollution from the Recycling and Production of Lead-Acid Batteries and the Technical Policies for the Prevention and Control of Pollution from Waste Batteries and abolished the Circular on Releasing the Technical Policies for the Prevention and Control of Pollution from Waste Batteries.

On the same day, MEP adopted the national environmental protection standard the Technical Requirement for Environmental Labeling Products–Furnitures (HJ 2547-2016), which shall take effect as of Feb. 1, 2017. The Technical Requirement for Environmental Labeling Products–Furnitures (HJ/T 303-2006) shall be abolished as of the same day.

On the same day, MEP printed and distributed the principles for approving the environmental impact statements of the construction projects in seven industries including the cement manufacturing industry.

On Dec. 30, the ninth plenary session of State Environment Advisory Committee & MEP Science and Technology Committee was held in Beijing. Vice Minister Huang Runqiu spoke at the plenary session.

On the same day, MEP released the Technical Policies for the Prevention and Control of Pollution from Sugar Industry.

On Dec. 31, MEP announced the Measures for the Environmental Management of Soils on Contaminated Plots (on trial), which shall take effect as of Jul. 1, 2017.