Shenzhen, one of China's five special economic zones, won recognition Wednesday for its efforts in environmental protection, with the title of Global Top 500 in 2002 awarded by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
Shenzhen, also known as a "world garden city," is the 25th Chinese reward winner of this kind since 1987.
Located in south China's Guangdong Province, Shenzhen has made tremendous efforts to protect and improve its ecology while boosting economic growth.
Statistics show that while the city has an average annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 30.3 percent, over 45 percent of its total land area is planted in trees and 76 percent of its green-belt space has been set aside for ecological development.
Residents now enjoy excellent air and water quality since the local city government earmarked more than 40 billion yuan (US$4.8 billion) to set up sewage farms, waste treatment plants and other environmental protection infrastructures.
(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2002)
