National Development and Reform Commission: Coordinate the arrangement of funds such as ultra-long-term special treasury bonds to exceed 100 billion yuan to support the construction of the Yangtze River Protection Project

The Zhitong Finance App learned that at 10 a.m. on January 5, the Information Office of the State Council held a press conference to introduce the progress and results of the ten-year work on the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Wang Changlin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at the meeting that over the past year, various tasks have achieved remarkable results. Introduce and implement a number of key policy measures. Funds such as ultra-long-term special treasury bonds and investments within the central budget exceeded 100 billion yuan to support the construction of major Yangtze River protection projects such as ecological restoration of key rivers and lakes, treatment of black and smelly urban water bodies, and energy saving and carbon reduction in key industries and key areas. An implementation plan was issued to further promote the construction of compensation mechanisms for horizontal ecological protection of large rivers, and clearly establish a unified compensation mechanism for horizontal ecological protection in the main stream of the Yangtze River.

Wang Changlin pointed out that in the next step, they will work with relevant parties to continue to implement the various tasks and measures of the three-year action plan to promote the continuous achievement of new results in the Yangtze River protection work.

The transcript is as follows:

Jia Huili, Deputy Director of the Information Bureau of the Information Office of the State Council and press spokesman:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the press conference of the Information Office of the State Council. The development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is a major regional strategy in China. Today, we invite Mr. Wang Changlin, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, to introduce the progress and results of the ten-year Yangtze River Economic Belt development work and answer everyone's concerns. Also attending today's press conference were Mr. Jiang Huohua, Director of the Department of Aquatic Ecology and Environment of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment; Mr. Jin Jingdong, Head of the General Planning Department of the Ministry of Transport; Mr. Yao Wenguang, Director of the Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention Department of the Ministry of Water Resources; and Mr. Jiang Kaiyong, Director of the River Basin Fisheries Administration and Administration Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Next, let's first ask Mr. Wang Changlin to give an introduction.

Wang Changlin, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, media friends! I am very happy to introduce you to the progress and results of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in the past ten years at the beginning of the new year.

The development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is a major regional strategy personally planned, personally deployed, and personally promoted by General Secretary Xi Jinping. Ten years ago today, on January 5, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized when hosting a symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in Chongqing, that “now and for quite a long time to come, we must place the restoration of the Yangtze River ecological environment in an overwhelming position, work together to protect it, and not engage in major development”, personally set the pulse and set rules for the Yangtze River Economic Belt, leading the way to open a grand blueprint for the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Over the past ten years, General Secretary Xi Jinping has hosted the Yangtze River Economic Belt Development Symposium 4 times and delivered important speeches. He has given important instructions and instructions many times, providing us with ideological guidance and fundamental guidelines.

Under the overall guidance of the Central Regional Coordinated Development Leading Group, the National Development and Reform Commission earnestly carries out the duties of the Central Regional Office, and together with relevant departments and provinces and cities along the river, insists on putting joint protection first, implementing the “Outline Development Plan for the Yangtze River Economic Belt”, formulating a five-year implementation plan, and promoting a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Through unremitting efforts, the Yangtze River economy has embarked on a new path of ecological priority and green development, and the Mother River of the Yangtze River has regained its vitality.

Wang Changlin:

Over the past ten years, the concept of focusing on greater protection and no major development has taken root in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the ecological background of the Yangtze River is even more vivid. We adhere to the original strategic intention, trace the roots and systematically treat “Yangtze River disease”, further promote pollution control in key areas such as industrial, urban sewage, agricultural surface sources, ships, etc., solve the “chemical fence” problem through “customs, reform, transportation, and transfer” of nearly 10,000 chemical companies, completely clean up and rectify 1,361 illegal wharves, basically eliminate black and smelly water bodies in cities at prefectural level and above along the river, and unswervingly push for a ten-year ban on fishing in the Yangtze River. The Qingjiang River is shining blue, the banks are green, the sea is green, the dolphins are chasing waves, and sturgeons are migrating, and the “Song of the Yangtze River” of green development in the new era has been written on Wanli Jiang Tao.

Over the past ten years, the integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation has accelerated in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the momentum for innovation in the Yangtze River is even stronger. We insist on scientific and technological innovation as the driving force, continue to promote the construction of the Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta) International Science and Technology Innovation Center and regional science and technology innovation centers in Wuhan, Chengdu and Chongqing, actively cultivate and expand emerging industries and future industries, and create a number of world-class scientific and technological achievements at the world's advanced level, such as “artificial sun” running 100 million degrees and 1,000 seconds and targeted anti-cancer drugs. A number of innovative enterprises with international competitiveness such as DeepSeek and Yushu Technology have emerged, forming a number of world-class industrial clusters such as automobile manufacturing and electronic information.

Over the past ten years, the advantages of crossing east and west, taking over the north and south, and connecting the river to the sea have continued to be unleashed in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the opening up of the Yangtze River has become even more dynamic. We insist on consolidating and improving the function of the Yangtze River Golden Waterway and speeding up the construction of a comprehensive three-dimensional traffic corridor along the river. The number of high-grade waterways in the Yangtze River system increased by 71% to 11,000 kilometers, and the cargo throughput of main line ports increased by 71% to 4.2 billion tons, ranking first in the world's inland rivers. Promote a high level of opening-up to the outside world, high-quality construction of China-Europe (Asia) trains and new land and sea corridors in the west, and the joint development of nine pilot free trade zones along the river. Large passageways and modern hubs intersect brilliantly. “The tide is wide on both sides, and the wind is just hanging”. The Yangtze River flow, which has continued for thousands of years, is surging with the waves of a new era.

Over the past ten years, the thousand-year context from Bashan Shushui to Jiangnan Water Town has continued to be passed down in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the cultural heritage of the Yangtze River is even deeper. We insist on protecting, inheriting and promoting Yangtze River culture, comprehensively promoting the protection of Yangtze River cultural relics and cultural heritage systems, building and making good use of the Yangtze River National Cultural Park, and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of outstanding traditional culture. The ruins of the ancient city of Liangzhu were successfully included in the World Cultural Heritage List. The archaeological excavation of Sanxingdui shocked the world. Dujiangyan not only irrigates tens of millions of acres of good land, but also highlights the “unity of nature and man” water management concept. A number of riverside cities and beautiful villages with historical and cultural connotations blend harmoniously with the Lingxiu landscape. The poetic scene of “Spring water is blue, painting boats and listening to the rain” has become a beautiful business card of the Yangtze River.

Over the past ten years, the virtuous cycle of “people protect the Yangtze River and benefit the people” has been vividly implemented in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the quality of the Happy Yangtze River has continued to improve. We insist on improving people's sense of attainment, happiness, and security along the river, promoting the restoration of greenery along the shoreline, and forming a number of influencers for visitors to enjoy the water. Improving the flood prevention and mitigation system in the Yangtze River Basin, 132 water projects have been jointly dispatched, which has strongly protected the safety of people's lives and property. The South-to-North Water Transfer Project has transported more than 84 billion cubic meters of water to 48 cities and 195 million people along the route. The per capita disposable income of residents increased from 23,000 yuan to 44,000 yuan, an increase of 91%. People along the river not only had clean water sources, a livable environment, and the guarantee of Anlan, but also found “golden mountains and silver mountains” of industrial upgrading and cultural tourism integration in “green water and green mountains.”

Wang Changlin:

Practice has proven that “if people live up to Aoyama, Aoyama definitely lives up to people.” Over the past ten years, the proportion of excellent water quality in the Yangtze River Economic Belt has increased from 67% to 96.5%, and the gross domestic product has more than doubled, and the country's share has increased from 42.2% to 47.3%. It has achieved mutual promotion and complementarity between protection and development, and has painted a Chinese-style modern picture of the Yangtze River where people and nature coexist harmoniously.

In the next step, we will thoroughly implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, prepare and implement the “15th Five-Year Plan” implementation plan for the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, promote the implementation of the three-year action plan for the protection of the Yangtze River in an integrated manner, fix the green mountains and not relax, and push the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt to a new level.

I'll introduce these first, thank you all!

Jia Huili:

Thanks to Deputy Director Wang Changlin. Please ask your questions now. Please inform your news agency before asking questions.

CCTV Reporter from China Central Radio and Television:

Everyone is very concerned about the protection of the Yangtze River. Deputy Director Wang Changlin just mentioned the three-year action plan for the protection of the Yangtze River. What is the background of the implementation of the three-year action plan? How effective is the progress? Thank you.

Wang Changlin:

Thanks for asking. Taking good care of the protection of the Yangtze River is the original mission of the Yangtze River Economic Belt development strategy. While seeing the results achieved, we are also clearly aware that ecological environment protection and high-quality development in the Yangtze River Basin are currently in a critical period of quantitative to qualitative transformation, and there are also some “hard bones” that are difficult to grasp. In recent years, General Secretary Xi Jinping has issued important instructions on continuing to do a good job in the protection of the Yangtze River. We have carefully studied and understood, thoroughly studied targeted measures, and requested the Central Regional Coordinated Development Leading Group to issue and implement the “Three-Year Action Plan to Further Carrying Out the Yangtze River Protection Work”, clarifying key tasks in the fields of water pollution control, aquatic ecological protection and restoration from 2025 to 2027. Over the past year, various tasks have achieved obvious results. Here, I will use “four batches” to summarize them.

Build and renovate a number of sewage network projects. Our committee actively plays the supporting role of “dual” construction in the implementation of the Yangtze River protection strategy, keeping an eye on the shortcomings of the urban domestic sewage network, coordinating “hard investment” and “soft construction”. In 2025, we will allocate 24.4 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds to support the construction project of about 12,000 kilometers of sewage networks in cities along the main stream and major tributaries of the Yangtze River. At the same time, we actively promote reform and innovation, carry out sewage treatment fee price reforms, guide places such as Yibin in Sichuan, Shiyan in Hubei, and Changzhou in Jiangsu to explore the establishment of integrated construction, operation and maintenance mechanisms for sewage plant networks, and attract social capital to participate in pipeline network construction.

Organize and carry out a number of special governance actions. Guide provinces and cities along the river to carry out in-depth special water pollution control actions in industrial parks, focusing on solving the problem of inadequate environmental infrastructure in parks. Carry out soil pollution control actions for 1-kilometer chemically vacated land along the river, and promote treatment and restoration through classification. Implement comprehensive phosphogypsum treatment actions to safely dispose of more than 60 million tons of phosphogypsum in stock. Strengthen the management of important lakes, promote a pilot ecological dredging project in Taihu Lake, strengthen monitoring and early warning of cyanobacteria in Chaohu Lake, and promote a marked improvement in the water quality of Honghu Lake.

Promote the construction of a number of major engineering projects. With the approval of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, our committee approved the Feasibility Study Report for the Three Gorges New Water Transport Corridor Project last year, and is currently pressing ahead with the preliminary work of the project. At the same time, the construction of waterway remediation projects for key sections of the Yangtze River Main Line has been accelerated. The upstream Fuling-Fengdu River section remediation project has been fully completed and put into trial operation, and the waterway remediation project for the midstream Jingjiang River section has basically been completed. Comprehensive management of the main stream of the Yangtze River has been strengthened. The first phase of the key embankment reinforcement project in the Dongting Lake District has basically been completed, and construction of the second phase of the project has already begun.

Introduce and implement a number of key policy measures. Funds such as ultra-long-term special treasury bonds and investments within the central budget exceeded 100 billion yuan to support the construction of major Yangtze River protection projects such as ecological restoration of key rivers and lakes, treatment of black and smelly urban water bodies, and energy saving and carbon reduction in key industries and key areas. An implementation plan was issued to further promote the construction of compensation mechanisms for horizontal ecological protection of large rivers, and clearly establish a unified compensation mechanism for horizontal ecological protection in the main stream of the Yangtze River.

In the next step, we will work with relevant parties to continue to carry out the various tasks and measures of the three-year action plan to promote the continuous achievement of new results in the Yangtze River protection work.

Thank you.

Red Star News Reporter:

My question is that in the ten years since the implementation of the Yangtze River Economic Belt development strategy, the ecological environment protection of the Yangtze River has always attracted much attention. What results have been achieved? What are the next job considerations? Thank you.

Jiang Huohua, Director of the Department of Aquatic Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment:

Let me answer this question. Thank you very much for your attention to the ecological environment protection of the Yangtze River. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment resolutely implements the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important speeches and important instructions on the development strategy of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and works with the provinces, cities and relevant departments along the river to protect the Yangtze River and thoroughly fight the protection and restoration of the Yangtze River. Over the past ten years, the proportion of Class I-III water quality in the Yangtze River Economic Belt has risen from 67% in 2015 to 96.5% now, an increase of nearly 30 percentage points. It is still very difficult. The main stream of the Yangtze River has maintained Class II water quality for 6 consecutive years. The number of some flagship species, such as dolphins, has also increased, and the Mother River is full of life. We mainly focus on four areas of work.

The first is to focus on pollution prevention and control. Organize and carry out 8 special actions, including remediation of poor Class V water bodies, investigation and remediation of water pollution in industrial parks. Currently, poor Class V water bodies have been basically eliminated, promoting the resolution of more than 2,400 poor infrastructure problems in industrial parks at the provincial level and above. The elimination rate of black and smelly water bodies in county-level cities exceeds 90%, and soil pollution control in 1-kilometer chemically vacated land along the river has been implemented. The total phosphorus concentration in the Yangtze River basin has dropped by more than 40% compared to ten years ago.

The second is to focus on protection and restoration. The “Green Shield” nature reserve continues to be strengthened, and key ecological and environmental issues in more than 1,300 national nature reserves have been rectified. Implement 17 integrated ecological protection and restoration projects for landscape, forest, field, lake grass and sand, and focus on improving the quality and stability of regional ecosystems. Together with relevant departments, we have carried out solid aquatic ecological monitoring and evaluation, and have basically ascertained the “background” of aquatic ecology, and guided the local authorities to adopt precise policies and make up for shortcomings. For example, Jiangsu Province is exploring the adoption of a near-natural restoration model for shoal river habitats, which is to improve the quality and stability of river ecosystems with minimal human intervention.

The third is to focus on system governance. Coordinate watershed inspections and provincial inspections to promote solutions to outstanding problems such as the blind launch of a number of “two high” (high energy consumption and high emissions) projects and damage to shoreline ecology. More than 17,000 ecological environment control units have been designated, and an ecological environment zoning control system has basically been established. The main stream of the Yangtze River promotes the establishment of a unified horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanism, and a work pattern of inter-provincial consultation, ecological co-governance, global co-construction, development and sharing has basically taken shape. For example, in the second round of ecological compensation agreements for the Yangtze River Basin signed by Sichuan and Chongqing, indicators such as natural shoreline rate were introduced, expanding from the original simple quality of the water environment to a comprehensive score of “from the water to the shore.”

Fourth, focus on risk prevention. The standardized construction of urban water sources in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the delineation and establishment of standards for township-level centralized drinking water source reserves have basically been completed. The “One Lake, One Policy” promotes water monitoring, early warning and emergency treatment of key lakes such as Taihu Lake and Chaohu Lake. More than 1,800 tailings depots have completed pollution control. More than 1,280 key rivers have achieved full coverage of “one river, one policy, one map” for environmental emergency response, and all relevant provinces along the river have signed cross-provincial watershed joint prevention and control agreements. For example, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai have established a “five joint” working mechanism for river cruising, management, monitoring, management, and enforcement of transboundary water bodies, thus achieving joint protection and common management of the Taipu River.

While seeing the results, we also realized that there is room for improvement in some tributaries of the Yangtze River and the small water bodies around the people along the river. In the next step, we will adhere to precise, scientific and legal pollution control, improve the inlet sewage outlet monitoring and supervision system, carry out in-depth pollution prevention and control in industry, urban life, agriculture, rural areas, and shipping ports, steadily enhance aquatic biodiversity, comprehensively promote the protection and construction of beautiful rivers and lakes in the Yangtze River Basin, and support the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt with a high-quality ecological environment. Thank you.

Shenzhen TV Reporter:

My question is about Yangtze River shipping. We know that Yangtze River shipping is an important part of the integrated transportation system in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. What progress has been made in accelerating the construction of modern Yangtze River shipping over the past ten years? What are the next steps? Thank you.

Jin Jingdong, head of the General Planning Department of the Ministry of Transport:

Thank you for your question and thank you very much for your interest in Yangtze River Shipping. Yangtze River Shipping has an outstanding strategic position. Accelerating the construction of modern Yangtze River Shipping is an important support for serving the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. I would like to introduce the situation from two aspects.

On the one hand, in terms of advancing key tasks. We take the lead in building a strong transportation nation, actively serve the country's major strategies, and focus on strengthening the role of the Yangtze River main line as a major channel. In terms of waterway capacity expansion and upgrading, adhere to mainline traction and branch coordination, vigorously promote the unification of mainline waterway section standards, implement 29 mainline waterway capacity expansion projects, including the Wuhan-Anqing section and Jingjiang Phase II, collaborate to promote the approval of the new Three Gorges Water Transport Channel Project, and accelerate the capacity expansion and upgrading of the Yangtze River Delta high-grade waterway and major tributary waterways such as the Jialing River and Han River. In terms of hub linkage, 12 hub cities, including Shanghai, Changsha, and Wuhan, are supported to strengthen the national integrated freight hub chain. Construction of a number of major port projects such as Xiaoyangshan North and Shanghai Luojing has been accelerated, the collection and evacuation system continues to improve, the level of port specialization and scale is steadily improving, and port hub collaboration is gradually increasing. In terms of green and intelligent transformation, the construction of pollutant reception, transfer and disposal facilities has been continuously promoted, and electronic joint management of the entire process has basically been realized. The development of green ships has accelerated, and the use of shore power by ships at port has become normalized. The pilot mission of smart waterways for transportation powerhouses has been carried out in depth. The “smart Yangtze River” construction has achieved remarkable results, providing the “Yangtze River Plan” for smart transportation construction.

On the other hand, in terms of construction results. Currently, the high-grade waterway mileage of the Yangtze River system has reached 11,500 kilometers, which allows 50,000 ton ships to go directly to Nanjing, 10,000 ton ships to Wuhan, and 5,000 ton ships to Chongqing. The quality of the waterway's passing capacity has been improved. Green service facilities on the Yangtze River Main Line are in effective operation. Twenty green service areas, 13 cabin washing stations, 8 liquefied natural gas filling stations, and 8 power exchange stations have been built. 38,000 main line shipping vessels have basically achieved “zero emissions” of pollutants. The “one map” connectivity mileage of the Yangtze River waterway reached 11,000 kilometers, and the pattern of “one map to view the Yangtze River system” was initially formed. In 2025, long-term trunk port throughput is expected to reach 4.2 billion tons, increase to 18 hundred million ton ports, and the average tonnage of cargo ships will exceed 2,300 tons, up 71%, 50%, and 67% respectively from 2015.

In the next step, we will further implement tasks such as the “Outline Development Plan Outline of the Yangtze River Economic Belt” and “Action Plan for Promoting the Implementation of the Inland River Water Transport System Connectivity Project”, implement mainline waterway capacity expansion and upgrading projects, accelerate the construction of high-grade tributary waterways, and focus on breaking through water transport blockages; continue to promote the upgrading of port hubs to form a multi-level port pattern with reasonable layout, professional and efficient; and vigorously implement water transport infrastructure renewal and digital intelligence transformation to promote the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Thank you.

Dazhong News Dazhong Daily Reporter:

In recent years, extreme weather has occurred from time to time, causing floods and droughts. What measures has the Ministry of Water Resources taken to prevent floods and droughts in the Yangtze River Basin? What results have been achieved? Thank you.

Yao Wenguang, Director of the Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention Department of the Ministry of Water Resources:

Thank you to the reporter's friends for their questions and interest in flood and drought disaster prevention efforts. As you said, in recent years, extreme weather has often caused floods and droughts, and the flood and drought situation in the Yangtze River Basin is complex and serious. The Ministry of Water Resources insists on always putting the safety of people's lives and property first, fully implementing the “two persistence, three transformations” concept of disaster prevention, mitigation and relief, adhering to the integration of prevention and rescue, adhering to the unification of normal disaster mitigation and non-state disaster relief, striving to achieve a shift from focusing on post-disaster relief to focusing on pre-disaster prevention, from dealing with single types of disasters to comprehensive disaster mitigation, from reducing disaster losses to mitigating disaster risk, establishing a firm bottom line thinking and extreme thinking, and systematically constructing the Yangtze River flood and drought disaster prevention system, “” In other words, speeding up the improvement of the composition of reservoirs, rivers and embankments, flood storage and stagnation areas, etc. Flood control engineering systems improve flood storage and discharge capacity; accelerate the construction of a modern rainwater monitoring and forecasting system to extend flood forecasting period and improve forecasting accuracy; improve the “trinity” flood and drought disaster prevention work system with responsibility implementation, decision support, scheduling and command. In particular, unified joint scheduling of water projects in the Yangtze River Basin has been implemented. The number of water projects included in the joint scheduling has reached 132, significantly improving flood and drought disaster prevention capabilities and firmly adhering to the bottom line of water safety.

Over the past ten years, remarkable results have been achieved in preventing floods and droughts in the Yangtze River Basin. In terms of flood prevention, it successfully coped with the major watershed floods that occurred in 2020, and the upstream and midstream reservoirs with the Three Gorges as the core were scientifically dispatched to block 49 billion cubic meters of floods, preventing 137 urban areas above the county level, 17.52 million people, and 1.1 million hectares of cultivated land from being threatened by floods. In terms of resisting droughts, in 2022, the worst prolonged drought since 1961 and the salty tide at the mouth of the Yangtze River were effectively addressed, ensuring water supply to important downstream cities and people's drinking water safety, and the irrigation needs of 183 million mu of autumn grain crops. The year of major droughts achieved safe water supply and a good harvest of food. In 2025, the Han River basin needed both drought relief and flood prevention. The Han River basin experienced the most extreme dry water since 1956 and the most intensive autumn disaster since 1961. The Ministry of Water Resources encrypted monitoring and forecasting and precise scheduling, which strongly guaranteed the safety of the south-to-north water transfer line, water safety in the Han River basin, and seasonal irrigation water requirements for crops, and ensured the safety of people's lives and property and flood prevention in the watershed.

Thank you.

Extreme News Reporter:

The Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important industrial agglomeration area in China. What work have we carried out over the years to promote the green and low-carbon development of industries along the river while taking good care of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River? Thank you.

Wang Changlin:

You raised this question very well. As you said, the Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important area for our country's industrial agglomeration, because China's basic industrial layout is in the “two belts” along the coast and along the river, which accounts for a large share of China's industry. In particular, the Yangtze River Economic Belt forms a relatively complete industrial chain in the electronic information industry, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. At the same time, we see that the ecological environment capacity of the Yangtze River Basin is limited. To continue to expand and strengthen the total economy, we must work hard to make it green, high-end, and intelligent. In recent years, we have actively promoted the green and low-carbon transformation of industries along the river. It should be said that positive results have been achieved, which can be summed up by “three new”.

First, innovation drives the cultivation of new momentum. The regional innovation system has been improved, and innovation platforms such as 3 science and technology innovation centers and 8 national laboratories have been laid out in the provinces and cities along the river, breaking through a number of key core technologies in the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum information, integrated circuits, life science, etc., and the development of science and innovation industry highlands such as Hefei Quantum Avenue, Wuhan Optics Valley, and Western Science City in Chengdu and Chongqing has accelerated development. It should be said that the Yangtze River Economic Belt has become one of the regions with the richest scientific and technological resources and the strongest innovation and entrepreneurship vitality in China.

Second, industrial upgrading creates new advantages. The Yangtze River Economic Belt has a good industrial base and strong resilience. By strengthening industrial infrastructure reconstruction, promoting major technology and equipment research, and deepening upstream and downstream collaboration in the industrial chain, we have cultivated 41 national-level advanced manufacturing clusters and 30 strategic emerging industrial clusters, accounting for 51% and 45% of the country respectively. Take the automobile industry as an example. As electrification and intelligent technology accelerate transformation, the automotive industry chain supply chain in the riverside region continues to be renewed and upgraded. In 2025, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Chongqing will all produce more than one million new energy vehicles. A new energy vehicle industry chain that runs through the entire watershed and covers the entire chain is being formed at an accelerated pace.

Third, green transformation has achieved new breakthroughs. We are actively promoting the green transformation of traditional industries such as steel, petrochemicals, and building materials, and have built 24 national carbon peak pilot cities and parks and 14 zero-carbon parks in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Research and development and promotion of new energy and clean energy ships have been increased, and a total of about 10,000 old operating ships have been supported for scrapping and upgrading. Actively promote 14 pilot regions, including Lishui in Zhejiang and Fuzhou in Jiangxi, to accelerate the exploration of ecological product value realization mechanisms. The Yangtze River Economic Belt accounts for about one-third of the country's energy consumption and carbon emissions, contributing nearly half of the country's GDP. The leading and driving role of ecological priority as the main battleground for green development is becoming more and more prominent.

In the next step, we will work with relevant parties to accelerate the green transformation of traditional industries along the river, cultivate and expand green and low-carbon industries according to local conditions, and better achieve protection and development in protection during development. Thank you.

Cover News Reporter:

We often say “the problem is in the water, the root is on the shore” of the water environment. Investigation and remediation of inlet sewage outlets plays an important role in water environment management. What work has the Ministry of Ecology and Environment carried out to investigate and rectify sewage outlets at the inlet of the Yangtze River? How effective is it? Thank you.

Jiang Huohua:

Thank you for your question. The inlet sewage outlet is the last “gate” for pollutants to enter the body of water. As you said, it is also the “cow's nose” for water environment management. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment investigated more than 160,000 kilometers of shoreline of the Yangtze River rivers and lakes, focusing on “how to investigate, how to treat, how to examine, and manage” inlet sewage outlets. More than 200,000 inlet sewage outlets were accurately “settled”. The investigation and remediation rate of sewage outlets in important rivers and lakes was over 90%. We have focused on the following tasks:

The first is to establish rules. The investigation and treatment of sewage outlets is not a simple “cure for headache, foot pain”; it is necessary to “cure the symptoms, cure the root causes, and work hard for a long time.” Focusing on the five aspects of “inspection and traceability,” the State Administration issued implementation opinions on strengthening the supervision and management of inlet sewage outlets. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment also issued 20 supporting policies, and basically established a “1+N” inlet sewage outlet supervision and management system to guide all prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt to formulate remediation plans, and achieve “orderly, standardized, traceable, and managed according to law.”

The second is to manage inventory. Advanced technical methods such as remote sensing and drones are comprehensively used to carry out a “net-pull” investigation of sewage outlets entering the Yangtze River, and at the same time establish dynamic management accounts. Guide all regions to promote “one port, one policy” to promote classification and remediation, focusing on problems such as direct sewage discharge and mixed discharge, to better promote accurate sewage collection and smooth entry of fresh water into the river. For example, Shanghai uses this “small incision” to accurately treat sewage outlets to force work such as the construction of sewage collection and treatment facilities, the remediation of rain and sewage mixing and misconnections, and the remediation of rural habitats to promote pollution interception and pollution control in an integrated manner, effectively improving river water quality and improving the clarity of water bodies.

The third is to control increments. On the one hand, we strictly control environmental access, which has a great impact on the environment. In particular, projects involving drinking water sources, etc., we resolutely and strictly control them and establish a firm environmental bottom line. At the same time, for special periods such as the flood season and dry water period, daily emission limits for key pollutants are set, sewage discharge is accurately controlled, and the effectiveness of pollution control is improved. On the other hand, we have optimized the approval service, issued implementation standards and guidelines for the approval of sewage outlet settings, and guided the 11 provinces and cities along the river to issue plans for the division of authority for sewage outlet approval. The chart is clear and clear at a glance. Promote one-network access, so that data can run more, the masses run fewer errands, and make it more convenient for the public to do business.

Fourth, strong supervision. We use modern methods, “sky view, cloud inspection, and ground inspection” to establish a supervisory system integrating remote sensing interpretation, platform review, and on-site inspection, and establish a closed-loop management system from problem detection, handover, rectification, and marketing. Some outstanding issues are also included in the scope of the central ecological and environmental protection inspection. Through “inspection, supervision and reform”, we promote solutions to a number of outstanding ecological and environmental problems such as direct sewage discharge and random discharge.

Of course, there are also a few sewage outlets that have outstanding problems such as not being rectified or not being in place. In the next step, we will concentrate on deepening the investigation and rectification of inlet sewage outlets, continue to strengthen monitoring and supervision, tighten territorial responsibilities, push river and lake chiefs to perform their duties with due diligence, and improve the supervision and management system for inlet sewage outlets. In a word, take good care of the inlet sewage outlets and protect the Mother River of the Yangtze River.

Thank you.

Upstream News Reporter:

As a landmark measure for the protection of the Yangtze River, the ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River has been implemented for five years. Please explain in detail what work has been carried out by the current ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River in terms of ecological restoration, fisherman settlement, law enforcement and supervision? Thank you.

Jiang Kaiyong, Director of the River Basin Fisheries Administration Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs:

Thank you to this reporter and media friends for their attention to the ten-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River. The ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River is an important decision by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core as the overall plan and seeking for children and grandchildren. It is an important measure to promote the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and restore the vitality of the mother river of the Yangtze River. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs took the lead in establishing an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism. All departments collaborated and made continuous efforts, and various regions along the river took multiple measures and made steady progress. Over the past five years, we have focused on carrying out the following work, and achieved remarkable results in stages.

The first is to continue to strengthen protection and restoration, and the restoration of aquatic biodiversity is improving. Deeply implement flagship species rescue operations to promote the restoration of important habitats for aquatic organisms. From 2024 to 2025, the scale of release of Chinese sturgeons exceeded 1 million tails for two consecutive years, effectively supplementing the wild population. The distribution range of Yangtze River dolphins continues to expand, and the population shows a steady growth trend. Natural breeding tests for Yangtze River sturgeons have been successful, and important steps have been taken to rebuild wild populations. Continuously improve the aquatic biological monitoring network in the Yangtze River Basin. From 2021 to 2024, a total of 344 species of indigenous fish were detected in the Yangtze River Basin, an increase of 36 species compared to before fishing was banned. The aquatic biological integrity index of the main stream of the Yangtze River continues to improve. It is 2 levels higher than the “no fish” level before fishing was banned, to a “poor” level. Of course, there are still 3 levels of “excellent,” “good,” and “normal.”

The second is to continue to strengthen resettlement guarantees so that retired fishermen can live and work peacefully. Our Ministry, together with the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, has taken strong measures to provide resettlement guarantees for 231,000 retired fishermen. Employment assistance has been strengthened, and the employment rate of retired fishermen who have the ability to work and are willing to work has basically reached 100%. Pension insurance has been implemented. All those who meet the conditions for enrolment have participated in pension insurance, and 60,000 people have already received pensions. Undercover guarantees have been strengthened, and 12,000 needy fishermen have been included in the scope of assistance such as subsistence allowances, etc., and “all assistance should be provided, and all should be rescued” has basically been achieved.

Third, joint law enforcement continues to be strengthened, and the administrative order of the ban on arrests is generally stable. Continuously improving the effectiveness of law enforcement and supervision, our Ministry, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, strongly supports all regions along the river to strengthen fishery administration enforcement capacity building and improve joint enforcement mechanisms according to local conditions. Together with the Ministry of Public Security and the General Administration of Market Supervision, etc., a joint law enforcement effort of “crackdown on the water and joint control on the shore” was formed. Publicity and guidance have been continuously strengthened, and awareness of social protection has continued to increase. Since the fishing ban has been banned for five years, there has been an overall downward trend in fishing-related offenses, and the “fishing ban” has been effectively enforced.

Of course, we also recognize that although aquatic biodiversity in the Yangtze River continues to recover, there are still 99 species of fish with historical records that have not been discovered, flagship species such as the Chinese sturgeon have not escaped extreme endangerment. Illegal fishing still occurs from time to time, and resettlement guarantees for retired fishermen still need to continue to be strengthened. In the next step, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will continue to work with relevant departments and regions along the river to maintain integrity and innovate, adopt systematic policies, make up for shortcomings, improve long-term mechanisms, strengthen joint law enforcement, enhance protection capabilities, unswervingly implement a ten-year ban on fishing in the Yangtze River, and help the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt with a high level of protection of aquatic organisms in the Yangtze River. Thank you.

Daily Economic News Reporter:

In recent years, China's multimodal transport has flourished, injecting new impetus into regional collaboration. What achievements have been made in promoting the development of multimodal transport in the Yangtze River Economic Belt? What are the next steps to deploy? Thank you.

Jin Jingdong:

Thank you for your question, your question was very nice and very professional. Vigorously developing multimodal transport is of great significance in optimizing transportation structures, reducing logistics costs, and promoting the construction of a unified national market. Over the years, the Ministry of Transport has vigorously promoted the development of multimodal transport, especially in promoting the development of multimodal transport in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, mainly carried out work on improving system rules, unblocking intermodal transport networks, and optimizing transport organization.

In terms of improving the rules of the system, the main thing is to strengthen the guidance of policy standards. Together with relevant departments, we have issued policy documents such as the “One Port, One Policy” Action Plan to Promote the Deep Integration and Development of Container Iron and Water Intermodal Transport (2025-2027)” and “Opinions on Accelerating the Development of “One Single System” and “One Box System” for multimodal transport to guide the continuous improvement of the intermodal transport environment. At the same time, positive results have been achieved in promoting the high-quality development of multimodal transport through the “one single system” and “one box system” transportation powerhouse pilots for integrated transportation.

In terms of unblocking intermodal transport networks. Over the years, we have promoted the establishment of a comprehensive multimodal transport service system covering the Yangtze River Economic Belt, with shipping centers as the core nodes. This intermodal transport network has been continuously improved. For example, Shanghai has strengthened collaboration among ports along the route, set up a demonstration base for multimodal transport in Shanghai to raise the international intermodal transport capacity level. Another example is that Wuhan has set up a multimodal transport service center to focus on the construction of a factor trading service platform to serve a unified national market. Another example is Chongqing's innovative promotion of the “Thousand Mile Light Boat” multimodal transport brand, tightening the new land and sea channel water transport network in the west. At the same time, it also relies on China-Europe trains, Central Asia trains, and sea-rail intermodal trains along the western land and sea corridors, etc., to form a major intermodal transport channel with internal and external connectivity, which strongly supports the transportation of various types of goods along the river.

In terms of optimizing transport organization. With the increasing improvement of the comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the development of multimodal transport has accelerated markedly. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the railway entry rate of major ports on the Yangtze River Main Line exceeded 90%, and the average annual growth rate of container iron and water intermodal transport was over 30%. We are also continuing to promote “transit by rail” and “transit to water” for bulk materials. Logistics costs continue to drop, which strongly guarantees the efficient operation of a unified national market.

In the next step, we will continue to adhere to problem orientation and make the development of multimodal transport in the Yangtze River Economic Belt a top priority. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, multimodal transport attacks will be implemented, using nodes such as major ports, important inland ports, large-scale industrial parks, and China-Europe train assembly centers as carriers, “one place, one policy” to plan and implement a number of key transit hubs, transit facilities, collection and evacuation channels, information platforms, etc., to further promote the development of “one single system” and “one box system”. The “one port, one policy” will promote the deep integration and development of container iron and water intermodal transport, and achieve multiple integration through “hard investment” and “soft construction” Higher quality development of intermodal transport, promote cost reduction, quality and efficiency in transportation and logistics, and strengthen domestic services Circulation. Thank you.

Jia Huili:

Time is a matter of time, the last two questions.

China News Service Reporter:

Over the past ten years, a large number of flood control projects have been built in the Yangtze River basin, which have played a major role in ensuring flood safety. Can you tell me more about the progress of the construction of flood control projects in the Yangtze River Basin, and what are the next steps to be taken? Thank you.

Yao Wenguang:

Thank you for your questions and interest. The Yangtze River Basin has a well-developed water system and a large population. Flood control tasks are very important and burdensome. Over the past ten years, the Ministry of Water Resources has insisted on using watersheds as units to speed up the improvement of the watershed flood control engineering system. This is also one of the three major flood and drought disaster prevention systems I just mentioned, providing a solid foundation for ensuring the safety of flood control in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Mainly, take good care of three aspects:

The first is to speed up the construction of flood control projects and enhance flood storage capacity. Water conservancy hubs such as Niuling in Anhui, Liaofang in Jiangxi, Tianhe in Hunan, and Tingzikou in Sichuan were built, and construction of a number of new flood control reservoirs was started, such as Yaojiaping in Hubei, Leping in Jiangxi, and Fenghuangshan in Anhui. At present, more than 300 large-scale reservoirs have been built in the Yangtze River basin, with a flood control storage capacity of 80 billion cubic meters, giving full play to the role of blocking floods and cutting off false peaks, and greatly reducing flood control pressure in the middle and lower reaches.

Second, take good care of river condition control and embankment construction to improve the river's flood drainage capacity. River remediation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has been implemented, and a total of more than 1,000 kilometers of landslides have been treated, which has strongly stabilized the situation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The construction of tributary embankments has been accelerated. The entire 3,900-kilometer main stream embankment in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has met standards. The flood control capacity of the main tributaries and the embankments in the Dongting Lake area and Poyang Lake area has improved markedly, and the flood discharge capacity of the main stream and tributaries of the Yangtze River has improved markedly.

The third is to promote the construction of flood storage and retention zones to ensure that they play a role in flood storage. Most of the floods in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are high in volume and last for a long time. Flood storage and stagnation zones play an irreplaceable role in protecting against major watershed floods, just like what we usually call the bottom line. Accelerate the construction of 25 flood storage and stagnation areas, including the Qianliang Lake, the Honghu East subdivision, and the Huayang River to ensure that they can be separated, stored, discharged, and safe at critical times.

At present, the Yangtze River basin has basically built a flood control engineering system composed of reservoir groups, rivers and embankments, and flood storage and stagnation areas with the Three Gorges Reservoir as the core. The overall flood control capacity of the watershed has improved markedly. In particular, the flood control situation in the Jingjiang River section has fundamentally improved.

In the next step, the Ministry of Water Resources will respond to new changes in flood control protection targets such as towns and important infrastructure within the watershed, deeply understand the challenges brought about by the increase in extreme weather events, coordinate the prevention of conventional floods and superstandard floods, scientifically lay out the construction of reservoirs, rivers and embankments, and important flood storage and stagnation areas, accelerate the construction of a watershed flood control engineering system adapted to climate change, and ensure flood control safety in the watershed.

Thank you.

Jia Huili:

Keep asking, one last question.

Hong Kong Bauhinia magazine reporter:

This year marks the beginning of the “15th Five-Year Plan”. The “15th Five-Year Plan” proposed continuing to promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. What work will be focused on in the next step to promote the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt? Thank you.

Wang Changlin:

Thank you for your question. This year marks the beginning of the “15th Five-Year Plan” and the first year of the second decade of development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In the next step, we will focus on building the “Big Five Yangtze Rivers.”

First, promote a high level of ecological environment protection and focus on building the ecological Yangtze River. Focusing on pollution control in key areas, fishing bans in the Yangtze River, etc., we will step up efforts and continue to overcome and resolve a number of difficult issues to make the Yangtze River more beautiful.

Second, improve the innovation support system and focus on building an innovative Yangtze River. Focus on three aspects: the first is to promote scientific and technological innovation, produce more original results, that is, 0 to 1 results, and build a pristine forest of scientific and technological innovation. The second is to cultivate more innovative enterprises and build a rainforest of industrial innovation. The third is to improve the innovation system and ecology, so that the seeds of innovation and creativity can keep popping up and grow into towering trees.

Third, strengthen regional coordination and integration, and focus on building an open Yangtze River. On the one hand, give full play to the role of the domestic and international dual circulation aorta in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, speed up the construction of comprehensive three-dimensional transportation corridors along the river, and optimize the open layout of the region. On the other hand, promote a high level of opening-up to the outside world, from manufacturing to services, from the coast to the inland to the border, and from opening up factors to institutional openness, forming a new pattern of all-round and deeper opening-up to the outside world.

Fourth, protect, inherit and promote Yangtze River culture, and focus on building the cultural Yangtze River. Yangtze River culture is the spiritual link of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. We will continue to strengthen research and interpretation of the cultural connotations of the Yangtze River, accelerate the construction of the Yangtze River National Cultural Park, promote the deep integration of cultural tourism, launch a number of Yangtze River themed tourist routes, and promote cultural excellence.

Fifth, enhance safety and security capabilities in key areas and focus on building a happy Yangtze River. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important agricultural production area and clean energy rich area in China. We will focus on improving the comprehensive agricultural production capacity, quality and efficiency of the provinces and cities along the river, and provide greater support in safeguarding the country's food security. At the same time, we will further promote the construction of the Anlan Yangtze River, continue to increase people's income and high-quality employment, continuously improve people's livelihood and welfare, and make people's lives warmer.

In the next step, our committee will earnestly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech and instructions on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and work with relevant departments and provinces and cities along the river to overcome difficulties, pay close attention to implementation, work hard for a long time, promote the steady and far-reaching development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and contribute more strength to the promotion of Chinese-style modernization. Thank you.

Jia Huili:

Thanks to Deputy Director Wang Changlin, thank all the publishers, and thank all the reporters and friends for participating. That's all for today's press conference. We'll see you next time.

This article was selected from “China Net”, editor of Zhitong Finance: Feng Qiuyi.