Hu Jintao tells congress that environment must be a priority
Party chief says green China must be a priority, as critics point to damage done on his watch
Communist Party chief Hu Jintao yesterday emphasised the importance of protecting the environment, but some analysts said its increased degradation in the past decade would tarnish his legacy.
Hu devoted an entire section of his speech to the party's 18th national congress to "environmental civilisation" - a term he first coined in his address to the 17th party congress five years ago to describe his vision of growth and conservation.
It rated just a brief paragraph back then, but at this year's congress, which opened in Beijing yesterday, it was given the same status as economic, political, cultural and social development. Professor Xu Yaotong , from the Chinese Academy of Governance, was quoted by Xinhua as saying that it could signal a change in emphasis towards sustainable growth.
Hu listed "unbalanced, unco-ordinated and unsustainable development" at the top of the challenges faced by China and admitted the country was facing "tightening resource constraints, rampant pollution and worsening environmental degradation".
In his report, Hu said China would focus on environmental problems that "pose health hazards to the people" and take a "holistic approach" to preventing and controlling pollution.
Although Beijing has steadily tightened environmental regulations and pollution standards over the past decade, breakneck economic growth has led to frequent scandals, with drinking water supplies being disrupted, children falling ill due to lead poisoning, the emergence of "cancer villages" close to polluting industries, and rising public fears that the air, water and food may no longer be safe.