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Alice Yan

Environment minister-in-waiting Chen Jining was warned that he will face great pressure after news of his new job was released on Wednesday.
Chen, president of Tsinghua University and an environmental engineering expert, succeeds Zhou Shengxian as the environment ministry's party boss - paving the way for him to take up the ministerial job in March. Zhou is retiring.
Wednesday night's announcement by the Ministry of Environmental Protection confirmed the  South China Morning Post's exclusive report on Tuesday of the change.
Wang Zhansheng, who taught Chen during his undergraduate and postgraduate days at Tsinghua, told online news outlet Thepaper.cn that he had high hopes for Chen on the new job.
"There are many conflicting interests behind environmental protection work," Wang said. He also hoped Chen would cope with the pressure from various stakeholders over such issues.
"I also hope Chen will concern himself with nurturing green NGOs," Wang said.
An article on the People's Daily overseas social media page called the minister-in-waiting "the most radical" Tsinghua president in decades. It also praised his reforms in personnel management and curriculum over the past three years.
Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told Thepaper.cn that an environment minister who was also an environmental protection expert would be better able to get to the crux of the country's environmental problems.
But Chang Jiwen , of the State Council's Development Research Centre, said the mainland's economy was still developing and any environment minister would face public opposition over his policies.
"University president and environment minister are different [roles]," Chang said. "Chen will face tremendous pressure."
In a country where economic growth still outweighs environmental protection in policy priorities, Chen could face setbacks as a minister, even if he wants to address institutional flaws.
The People's Daily's website said Chen, who is a national legislator, made seven proposals last year when the decades-old environmental law was revised. They included strengthening government responsibility to rein in polluters and changing review procedures for the impact of developments. None was adopted.


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Tsinghua University president Chen Jining (pictured) will succeed Zhou Shengxian as environment minister in March. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Chief of prestigious Chinese university ‘to be appointed country’s environment minister’

The head of one of the mainland's most prestigious universities is tipped to take over the country's top environmental job with Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian (above), reaching retirement age. Photo: Edward Wong

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But Tsinghua University president warned he will face many challenges at ministry's helm


Environment minister-in-waiting Chen Jining was warned that he will face great pressure after news of his new job was released on Wednesday.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}But Tsinghua University president warned he will face many challenges at ministry's helm

But Tsinghua University president warned he will face many challenges at ministry's helm