China vows to strengthen black soil protection

China's top court and procuratorate issued a judicial interpretation on Tuesday, vowing to continue the crackdown on crimes that damage black soil resources.

The 14-article legal document interprets the Black Soil Protection Law, which has taken effect in August 2022, in order to help judges and prosecutors efficiently tackle criminal cases related to black soil and better promote the environmental conservation, according to the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Under the judicial interpretation, the acts of illegally discharging, dumping or disposing of radioactive waste, objects containing pathogens of infectious diseases or toxic substances on black soil will be identified as environmental pollution crime.

In response to the increasingly frequent illegal excavation or digging of black soil over the past few years, the interpretation also clarifies that such acts should be deemed as the crime of illegally occupying agricultural land.

Wu Zhaoxiang, chief judge of the top court's Environment and Resources Division, emphasized the importance of protecting black soil, an extremely precious soil resource on earth, adding "it is not only to advance the environmental conservation, but also to ensure food safety".

The black soil region in Northeast China covers an area of 1.09 million square kilometers, which serves as a vital grain production base and an important ecological barrier in the country, he said, calling on judicial staff members nationwide to implement the interpretation to strengthen the environmental protection.