China has launched a three-year campaign to save and promote comprehensive utilization of major resources for the purpose of maintaining sustainable economic and social development.  

A notice issued recently by the General Office of the State Council calls on all localities to join the efforts to save and make effective use of resources such as energy, raw materials, water and land.

The notice says, China's per capita arable land, freshwater, forest, petroleum, natural gas and coal is far lower than the world's average, and reserves of iron, copper, aluminum and other major mineral resources are also very low.

"Insufficient supply of resources has become a major factor that holds back economic and social development," it says.

The three-year campaign is aimed at markedly improving the effective use of resources, with energy consumption reduced by 5 percent for every 10,000 yuan (US$1,200) of GDP, water consumption by 10 percent for every 10,000 yuan of GDP and the use of recycled water increased by 5 percentage points.

The campaign is also expected to raise the use of renewable resources and curb the trend of decreasing arable land, it says.

The notice calls on all localities and government departments at all levels, especially officials, to put into effect the scientific concept of development and take effective measures for this purpose.

Task forces composed of officials from the central government departments concerned will be formed to carry out scrutiny in regions sustaining electricity and water shortage and major cities, industries and enterprises in their work to save resources.

(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2004)