China will take tangible measures to save energy and cut pollution in 2008, Li Pumin, the spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Saturday in an interview posted on the Chinese www.gov.cn website.

"The country will continue eliminating outdated production capacity, including 13 million kilowatts of small thermal power plant capacity, 50 million tonnes of cement capacity, 6 million tonnes of steel capacity and 14 million tonnes of iron production capacity," said Li.

China plans to eliminate 100 million tons of iron production capacity and 55 million tons of steel production capacity from 2006 to 2010.

To protect the environment and save energy, China had eliminated 29.4 million tonnes of outdated iron smelting capacity and 15.21 million tonnes of outdated steel smelting capacity as of the end of November.

"The government will make full use of tax, fiscal and financial policies to push forward energy-saving and pollution-cutting goals," added Li.

China's top five banks offered loans of more than 100 billion yuan (14.08 billion U.S. dollars) last year to support companies' environmental plans. The country is also levying a full consumption tax on refined fuel oil and three other oil products retroactively from Jan. 1.

(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2008)