In Chinese government's national economic plans, "sustainable development" and a "recyclable economy" have occupied a more and more important position.

Building a recyclable economy is a must if China is to maintain its coordinated social and economic development, said the provincial environmental protection bureau director Wang Liying at a recent forum on harmonious development between man and nature held in northeastern China's Jilin Province.

In the past decade, China has seen a high speed of economic growth. But along with the booming economy are crises in ecological environment and energy resources supply. These have drawn increasing attention from ecological experts, economists and ordinary people.

"The discharge of main pollutants like sulfur dioxide from factories, cars, and other polluters is still at a level much higher in China than in countries of Organization for Economic Cooperation Development(OECD),"  said Wang Yuqing, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration.

Meanwhile, energy and resources consumption per unit output value in China is three times that of the world average level, Wang added.

All this prompts China to rethink the current economic development mode, which is running at the expense of the environment and high energy resource consumption, he said.

Now, instead, China is pushing for the development of a recyclable economy, which stresses clean production and full use of industrial pollutants. 

"China's current situation of environment and energy resources makes it bound to develop a recyclable economy and discard its traditional development mode characterized by high consumption of energy and resources, heavy pollution  and low economic returns," said Wang Liying.

Some progress has been made so far.

China has already enacted laws on promotion of clean production and the prevention and treatment of pollution. More than 20 provinces or municipalities have local clean production laws and set up clean production centers for different industries.

Ten ecological-industrial parks have been built in economic development zones or regions gathering a number of factories or companies. Pollutants or wastes in these parks are made full use of and pollution reduced as much as possible.

However, only certain regions of the country are doing well in developing a recyclable economy, and China still has a long way to go, Wang Yuqing said.

"The current laws cannot meet the needs of developing a recyclable economy, and some specific policies even contradict recyclable economy development. It is urgent to draw more laws to ensure its development," said Wang Yuqing.

For example, China can learn from the practices of some developed western countries by enacting laws and regulations on "green consumption," resources recycling and reuse.

Besides laws, financial support is needed for developing a recyclable economy. Experts suggested that financial departments and banks provide funds or loans to clean production research programs and those ecological-industrial model parks with successful pollution treatment.

At the annual central economic work conference held in early December, the Chinese government pledged to attach greater importance to developing a recyclable economy by setting energy and resources saving as one of its key economic targets. 

"The recyclable economy is a sensible and right choice of the Chinese government," said Wang Yuqing, "With more financial, legal and governmental support, such an economy is sure to be promising in China."

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2005)