New 'eco-police' system to be set up by 2027

China will develop an "eco-police" mechanism to integrate crackdowns, prevention and governance of environmental and resource-related violations, and advance the value transformation of ecological resources, according to an official document.

Jointly released by 10 central departments including the Ministry of Public Security, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the guideline on strengthening eco-police mechanism construction says the system — led by public security organs and coordinated with relevant departments — will be basically in place by 2027 and evolve into a systematic, standardized and efficiently functioning framework by 2035.

The document outlines four priority tasks: intensifying criminal crackdowns, enhancing proactive prevention, advancing comprehensive governance, and promoting value transformation.

It calls for sustained, strict legal action against major offenses such as environmental pollution, destruction of wildlife resources, damage to ancient and famous trees, illegal fishing, mining, sand dredging and the unauthorized occupation of agricultural land. Given the professionalized, gang-operated, long-chain and cross-regional nature of such crimes, authorities will refine mechanisms for case supervision, concentrated operations and coordinated clue-sharing to conduct precise and in-depth crackdowns.

Local governments are encouraged to explore appointing river, lake, forest and ecological police chiefs based on local conditions to strengthen preventive measures. Building on practices in certain areas, the document says grassroots cooperation platforms — such as eco-police joint duty centers and stations — may be established in regions with heavy ecological protection responsibilities or high crime incidence to integrate eco-police work with local governance.

Authorities must promptly inform relevant departments of identified risks and hidden hazards to support front-end governance and plug management loopholes. The document stresses balancing protection and restoration, guiding offenders to actively undertake ecological rehabilitation responsibilities during case handling.

On promoting value transformation, the guideline calls for integrating criminal crackdowns with ecological governance and green industrial transition to strengthen economic competitiveness and improve the total value of ecological products. It also mandates tough action against crimes infringing on enterprises' legitimate rights and interests, as well as infringement and counterfeiting involving high-quality, well-known agricultural and geographical-indication products, to better protect premium ecological resources.

The document further details requirements for improving organizational coordination, policy implementation, interdepartmental collaboration and cross-regional cooperation. It also highlights safeguards including team building, digital and intelligent support, legal system development and infrastructure construction. It underscores leveraging the functional strengths of all participating agencies to achieve optimal outcomes through maximum synergy.