2007 China Environment Report released

Today is World Environment Day. On Wednesday, China's Ministry of Environmental Protection released the 2007 China Environment Report, which says there was major progress in China's environmental protection in 2007. It indicated the country's environmental protection measures have become proactive, compared to reactive previously.

The report says sulfur dioxide emissions in major cities dropped 4.7 percent in 2007 from 2006. Over 60 percent of the sewage water in urban areas can be recycled. But the report points out that water pollution is still a big issue. Over 20 percent of the rivers were highly-polluted, and another fifty percent were modestly polluted.