Water quality along the main stem of the Yangtze River has improved from Class V in some sections to Class II throughout its entire length

Today, the State Council Information Office held a press conference to brief the media on the progress and achievements made over the past decade in the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Wang Changlin, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated that over the past decade, the principle of “prioritizing protection over development” has taken root in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the ecological character of the Yangtze River has become more pronounced. By implementing the “shut down, upgrade, relocate, and transform” measures for nearly 10,000 chemical enterprises, the challenge of “chemical plants encircling the river” has been resolved; 1,361 illegal wharves have been thoroughly cleared and rectified; black and odorous water bodies in prefecture-level and higher cities along the river have been essentially eliminated; the ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River has been resolutely enforced; and water quality in the main stem of the Yangtze River has improved from Class V in some sections to Class II along its entire length. (CCTV News)