Huang Runqiu, China's Minister of Ecology and Environment, displayed a DNA detection chip on Thursday, noting that while small, the device contains detection data for aquatic organisms from 19 national monitoring sections in the Jiangsu stretch of the Yangtze River. The findings show that more than 20 new aquatic species have been recorded in the section over the past five years, demonstrating the tangible achievements of China's 10-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River.
China's Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu gives an interview after the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 12, 2026. (Photo: CFP)
Huang made the remarks during the third group interview of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) following the closing meeting on March 12. He noted that China's environmental oversight has entered a new era of digital, data-driven and smart governance.
Huang pointed out that pollution directly affects people's well-being. This year, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will issue documents to deepen water pollution control, shifting the focus further to rural areas, urban-rural junctions and county-level cities. It will also set up more than 200 national monitoring sites and a number of provincial-level sites to support local efforts in improving small water bodies.
Last year, the national average concentration of PM2.5 dropped to 28 micrograms per cubic meter, and the proportion of days with good or excellent air quality reached 89.3%, the best level since monitoring began. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the national PM2.5 concentration fell by a cumulative 20%, and the number of days with heavy pollution decreased by 25%.
The proportion of national surface water sections with good or excellent quality reached 91.4%, exceeding 90% for two consecutive years. The main stream of the Yangtze River has maintained Grade II water quality (Grade I to Grade III) for six consecutive years, and the Yellow River for four years. Over the decade of conservation and restoration of Yangtze River, the proportion of excellent water bodies in Yangtze River rose by nearly 30 percentage points, and the population of Yangtze finless porpoises increased to 1,426.
The Tibetan antelope population in China has surpassed 300,000.
(Cover photo credit to CFP)