Draft takes aim at water pollution

China will increase efforts to prevent water pollution, with new technologies being applied to improve the monitoring of marine environments, an official from the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, said on Thursday.

Yang Heqing, spokesman of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, told a news conference that content on enhancing control over nitrogen and phosphorous emissions into the sea has been added into a draft revision to the Marine Environment Protection Law.

The draft amendment is scheduled to be submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for further review at its upcoming session, which will be held in Beijing from Friday to Tuesday.

Yang said that the new content aims to improve the quality of marine environments.

Considering that the prevention and control of water pollution is a matter of widespread concern across China, he revealed that the draft calls for the planning and construction of facilities on land to receive, transfer and handle marine debris.

In addition, it requires stronger application of technologies to intensify monitoring of marine radiation, he added.

During the session of the NPC Standing Committee, legislators will also review other draft laws, including a revision to the Charity Law and others concerning patriotic education and food security, Yang said.

Bills on draft amendments to the organic law of the State Council and the infectious disease prevention and control law, as well as a draft tariff law, are also expected to be submitted to the session for review, he said.

Furthermore, multiple reports on matters such as financial work and the management of State-owned assets are also scheduled for review, he added.