The government has gradually increased the proportion of GDP
allocated to environmental protection from 0.72 percent in 1989 to
1.33 percent in 2003. Between 1998 and 2002, 580 billion yuan was
invested in environmental protection and ecological construction
across China, 1.8 times the total investment in this area for the
48 years between 1950 and 1997. In 2003, 136.34 billion yuan was
invested in treatment of environmental pollution, 23.2 percent more
than in 2002. Of the total investment, 78.53 billion yuan was used
in construction of environmental infrastructure in urban areas,
18.84 billion yuan in treatment of sources of industrial pollution,
and 38.97 billion yuan in environmental protection in new
construction projects.?
So far this century, China's environmental protection industry
has grown at an average annual rate of 17 percent, far
out-stripping the general economy. In 2002, the output value of
China's environmental protection industry reached 220 billion yuan,
compared to 4 billion yuan in 1992. At present, China's
environmental protection enterprises are located mainly in more
developed areas along the coast and rivers of eastern China, 6
percent being large enterprises with fixed assets worth more than
50 million yuan. Some authorities predict that this industry will
maintain its fast momentum.
