Invited by Korean Environment Minister LEE Maanee, MEP Minister Zhou Shengxian led a delegation to Busan, Korea between April 28 and 29 for the 13th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among China, Japan and Korea (TEMM). Korean Environment Minister LEE Maanee and Japanese Vice Environment Minister Kondo Shoichi attended the meeting.
Minister Zhou Shengxian exchanged ideas with his counterparts from Korea and Japan on the latest development of China's environmental policy. He first expressed sympathy for the heavy loss the devastating earthquake caused in Japan. Zhou said China's environmental work achieved positive progress in the 11th Five-Year Plan period. The pollution reduction task was overfulfilled with discharges of COD and SO2 falling by 12.45% and 14.29% respectively as compared with that of 2005. Environmental protection continued its good influence as it benefits economic development and people's well-being. With enhanced effort to prevent and control pollution in major river basins and regions, environmental quality has kept on improving. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, China will coordinate the relationship among reduction of total pollution, improvement of environmental quality and risk control and balanced development between urban and rural area under the theme of scientific development, the main task of transforming the mode of economic development and the new requirement of elevating the level of ecological civilization. We must have a clear view of the difficult environmental problems in China that are diversified, non-linear and compact and make break through in major issues that affect scientific development and sustainable development and harm people's health. Also through setting up a strict system for statistics, monitoring and assessment and accountability, we aim to solve hot issues concerning pollution reduction. Our active efforts will help us to explore a cost-effective, low-emission and sustainable path to environmental protection. In 2011, the beginning of the 12th Five-Year Plan period, we define the reduction targets of the four major pollutants, SO2, COD, NH3-N and NOx as 1.5% cut for each against 2010 level.
When talking about the nuclear leakage in Japan, Zhou hoped Japan would strengthen information exchanges and provide correct information in a timely fashion and expressed concern over discharges of polluted wastewater to the marine environment. He also suggested the three countries, combining management of nuclear pollution and nuclear radiation, take more effective measures to address illegal transboundary movement of waste and floating debris in a bid to minimize their impact on the environment.
The Ministers also exchanged views on a set of regional and global issues ranging from prevention and control of illegal transboundary movement of e-waste, biodiversity protection and benefit sharing of biological resources, to information exchange of environmental technology and transfer of energy-saving technologies as well as dust and sandstorm. They all agreed that the leapfrogging development of science and technology worldwide and penetration of economic globalization has made the generation and transfer of environmental problems go global. We can only hope to solve environmental problems properly through mutual help, making concerted effort, seeking common ground while reserving differences, sharing benefit and active international environmental cooperation.
Ministers from the three countries listened to the progress report of the environmental cooperation projects of China, Japan and Korea and made proposals on how the three countries should proceed with environmental cooperation in the future. Following the reports made by representatives of the student forum and corporate forum, the three Ministers sang high praise for their ideas to strengthen cooperation with corporations in developing countries in order to build low-carbon campus and improve the environment and welcomed similar exchanges and explorations in the future. The meeting adopted Joint Communique of the 13th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among China, Japan and Korea. 
The Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting among China, Japan and Korea aims to implement the consensus of the Trilateral Summit Meeting among China, Japan and Korea, explore and resolve regional environmental problems facing the three countries and promote regional sustainable development. TEMM is held once a year in rotation in the three countries. China has been the host for the 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th TEMM in 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009 respectively. As one of the institutions for high-level environmental dialogue and cooperation in Northeast Asia, TEMM has delivered positive influence and results since its establishment. Environmental departments in the three countries cooperate on a pragmatic and consultative basis and expand their projects in many fields including environmental education, e-waste, ecological conservation in northwestern China, environmental industry, early warning and monitoring of dust and sandstorm and study of its formation. Their effort has achieved positive results.