The eighth Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team stationed in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps a couple of days ago upon the approval of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, in a bid to launch environmental inspection there, as part of the efforts to implement the guidelines of the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on promoting ecological progress and protecting the environment, and the major decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. The inspection team held a mobilization meeting in Urumqi on Aug. 11. The Chief Inspector Li Jiaxiang and Deputy Chief Inspector Zhai Qing delivered remarks on doing well in the inspection. The First Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang regional committee and the First Commissar of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Chen Quanguo delivered a mobilization speech. The meeting was chaired by Shohrat Zakir, Chairman of the regional government. The Political Commissar of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Sun Jinlong and Commander Peng Jiarui presented at the meeting.
Li Jiaxiang pointed out that the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has taken all factors into consideration while implementing the overall plan for promoting economic, political, social, cultural and ecological progresses and balanced and promoted the “four-pronged comprehensive strategy”; it has put ecological development and environmental protection at a more important, strategic position. 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 required adhering to the problem-oriented principle, and putting great efforts in revealing problems. In December 2016, Xi made another important instruction on intensifying the environmental inspection. Especially since the start of 2017, Xi has made multiple instructions on the central inspection, and required making greater efforts in the inspection, urging the local Party committees and governments to take environmental protection responsibilities, and gaining the people’s trust with tangible effects.
Li Jiaxiang stressed that the inspection team has come to Xinjiang to lay emphasis on checking whether the Party committees and the governments of Xinjiang and of the Corps have well 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. 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 that have experienced deteriorating environmental quality and how they have been treated; check whether immediate actions have been taken to rectify the living environment problems reported by the people; check if there is any nonfeasance or misconduct by the local Party committee and relevant government departments; and check the performances of local Party committees and governments in sharing the responsibility for protecting the environment, how the “one position with two responsibilities” system has been implemented, and how the liabilities are accounted for. The party committees and governments at all levels in Xinjiang should work closely around the overall plan for promoting economic, political, social, cultural, and ecological progresses and the “four-pronged comprehensive strategy”, firmly embrace the “four awareness”, implement the new development concepts, and make sure the major decisions and deployments of the central authorities to take root and yield substantial effects.
In response, Chen Quanguo said, the central environmental protection inspection has fully demonstrated the high attention paid by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core to promoting ecological progress and protecting the environment. It is one of the major institutional arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for promoting ecological progress and protecting the environment. The departments and organizations at all levels in Xinjiang and the Corps should enhance the “four awareness”, and study and implement the guidelines of the major statements and instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the work in Xinjiang and the promotion of local ecological progress. We should fully recognize the significance of the central environmental inspection, align our thoughts and actions with the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, and give unreserved supports to the inspection team. We should take a clear political stand and fully collaborate with and support the inspection, take a highly responsibility attitude to deliver work reports, provide authentic information, and reflect the problems truthfully, to make sure the inspection goes smoothly. We should take the inspection as an important opportunity to promote ecological progress in Xinjiang, and a strong impetus to boost regional environmental protection, be aware of the gaps at work, and make rectifications in a down-to-earth manner, so as to build Xinjiang into a beautiful place with blue skies, green lands, and clean waters, and promote the social stability and long-lasting peace there.
At the meeting, Zhai Qing proposed requirements for cooperating with the inspection team, overseeing the rectifications, sharing the information, and providing adequate conditions for the inspection. Members of the inspection team, officials concerned with the National Office of Environmental Protection Inspection, and other members of the leaderships of the Party committees and governments of Xinjiang and the Corps attended the meeting. Heads of the regional people’s congress and regional political advisory committee, heads of the regional court and the regional procuratorate, heads of the relevant departments under the Party committees and governments of Xinjiang and the Corps, as well as the leaderships of Urumqi municipal Party committee and municipal government observed the meeting. The heads of the Party committees and governments of other prefectural cities, heads of the divisions (cities) and relevant departments observed the meeting via video conference system.
The eighth Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team is scheduled to stay in Xinjiang for about one month from Aug. 11 to Sep. 11. The contact number is 0991-6073218. The postal address is Mailbox #226, Urumqi Municipality, 130012. The inspection team will take phone calls between 10:00 and 22:00. 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 Xinjiang and the Corps. Other problems falling out of the purview of the team will be transferred to the regions, organizations and departments concerned.
