China's Minister of Environmental Protection Chen Jining gives a press conference for the third session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), on environmental protection in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2015. (Xinhua/Li Ran)
BEIJING, March 7 -- China needs to make "extra efforts" to battle the grave air pollution that has raised public concern, the newly appointed Environmental Protection Minister said Saturday.
More than 80 percent of about 300 cities failed to meet the official standard of air quality last year, with smog frequently hitting the Yangtze River and Pearl River deltas as well as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, said minister Chen Jining, an environmental scientist and former president of Tsinghua University.
No country in the world is making such great efforts as China to combat air pollution, he told a press conference.
The government would strengthen the implementation of the revised environmental protection law and raise the capacity of pollution control, he said.
The government would also ensure information transparency and protect the public's right to know, participate in and supervise the fight against air pollution.
China hosts overseas disaster relief exercise for the first time
20 pairs of twins who will become flight attendants in Sichuan
J-11 fighters in air exercise
PLA soldiers operating vehicle-mounted guns in drill
Beauties dancing on the rings
Blind carpenter in E China's Jiangxi
Top 10 highest-paid sports teams in the world
In photos: China's WZ-10 armed helicopters
UFO spotted in several places in China
Obama is sowing discontent in S.China Sea
Rescuers work through night to reach cruise ship survivors
Driving through limbo
Facing down MERSDay|Week
