China dumped a total of 200.7 million cubic metres of waste into its coastal waters in 2018, a 27 per cent&nbsp;rise on the previous year and the highest level in at least a decade, the country's environment ministry said on Tuesday.

The majority of the waste was dumped in the delta regions of the Yangtze and Pearl rivers, both major industrial zones on China's eastern coast, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) said.

"At the moment, there are some clear problems with the work on the marine ecological environment, with some regions not showing a lot of awareness or paying sufficient attention, and lacking strong initiative and dedication," Huo Chuanlin, deputy director of the MEE's marine environment department, said at a briefing in Beijing.

Environmental groups have expressed concern that China, desperate to clean up its own rivers, is dumping increasing amounts of trash in its seas instead.

However, Huo said overall conditions in China's coastal waters, including issues like wastewater entering the seas from rivers, were improving and China could not be blamed for a global ocean polluting crisis.

"China is the biggest producer and exporter of plastic products, accounting for about 30 per cent&nbsp;of the world's total, but that doesn't mean China is a major marine plastic polluting country," he said.

China found an average of 24 kilograms of floating trash per 1,000 square metres of surface water last year, 88.7 per cent&nbsp;of which was plastic, the ministry said. Plastic also dominated the waste found below the surface, including on the seabed.

Earlier this year, Beijing published an action plan designed to clean up the Bohai Bay, one of the country's busiest and most polluted waterways.

China has earmarked 7 billion yuan&nbsp;for the clean-up this year alone, but Huo said it is still expected to struggle to meet a key target aimed at making at least 73 per cent&nbsp;of Bohai waters fit for human contact by next year, up from around 70 per cent&nbsp;at present.

China is planning to make around 30 per cent&nbsp;of its coastal waters completely off-limits to development as part of a national "ecological red line" scheme.

But it is also trying to protect its rivers and improve the environment of its cities by moving polluting industries like steel and petrochemicals to the coast.

China dumped a total of 200.7 million cubic metres of waste into its coastal waters in 2018, a 27 per cent rise on the previous year and the highest level in at least a decade, the country's environment ministry said on Tuesday.

China dumped a total of 200.7 million cubic metres of waste into its coastal waters in 2018, a 27 per cent rise on the previous year and the highest level in at least a decade, the country's environment ministry said on Tuesday. The majority of the waste was dumped in the delta regions of the Yangtze and Pearl rivers, both major industrial zones on China's eastern coast, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) said. "At the moment, there are some clear problems with the work on the marine ecological environment, with some regions not showing a lot of awareness or paying sufficient attention, and lacking strong initiative and dedication," Huo Chuanlin, deputy director of the MEE's marine environment department, said at a briefing in Beijing. Environmental groups have expressed concern that China, desperate to clean up its own rivers, is dumping increasing amounts of trash in its seas instead. However, Huo said overall conditions in China's coastal waters, including issues like wastewater entering the seas from rivers, were improving and China could not be blamed for a global ocean polluting crisis. "China is the biggest producer and exporter of plastic products, accounting for about 30 per cent of the world's total, but that doesn't mean China is a major marine plastic polluting country," he said. China found an average of 24 kilograms of floating trash per 1,000 square metres of surface water last year, 88.7 per cent of which was plastic, the ministry said. Plastic also dominated the waste found below the surface, including on the seabed. Earlier this year, Beijing published an action plan designed to clean up the Bohai Bay, one of the country's busiest and most polluted waterways. China has earmarked 7 billion yuan for the clean-up this year alone, but Huo said it is still expected to struggle to meet a key target aimed at making at least 73 per cent of Bohai waters fit for human contact by next year, up from around 70 per cent at present. China is planning to make around 30 per cent of its coastal waters completely off-limits to development as part of a national "ecological red line" scheme. But it is also trying to protect its rivers and improve the environment of its cities by moving polluting industries like steel and petrochemicals to the coast.

China's ocean waste surges 27% in 2018: Ministry

China will continue to enforce production restrictions in heavy industry in winter this year and will tighten its emission assessment on steel mills when granting exemptions from curbs already in place, an environment ministry official said on Saturday.

With increasing discontent over large-scale industrial shutdowns, Beijing has vowed to adopt more effective and targeted measures during its war against air pollution by imposing different levels of output cuts on companies based on their emission situation.

"The steel industry remains a major contributor of pollutants despite improvement in emission levels and production restrictions.

This year, there will not be many first-class firms that will be exempt from curbs," Liu Bingjiang, the head of the atmospheric environment department at Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), told an industrial conference.

Liu said MEE will bring in industrial associations to carry out emission assessments on mills to avoid fraud in the emission upgrading process.

"We will hand out severe punishment to mills who play tricks and will enforce the highest level of production restrictions on them," said Liu, adding that he had noticed that investment and operational costs of emission upgrade at mills varied from less than 20 yuan ($2.91) a tonne to as high as 270 yuan a tonne in steel-making.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/photos/united-states-china-trade-war-in-10-dates-230517&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi67PCd37HjAhXijOYKHS-9DskQFjACegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw05t8IGlOX4L-stYh5vIJRH">China, the world's biggest steel producer</a>, has ordered mills in key regions, including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Fenwei Plain and the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-water-quality-improvements-imbalanced-in-first-quarter-xinhua-219635&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj_zIb63rHjAhWa8HMBHRcJDdUQFjAAegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3zujw4ETo7AJLM4fbi8rD_">Yangtze River Delta</a>, to meet ultra-low emission standards by 2020.

That would include more than 60% of steel capacity in the country.

Companies who attain "ultra-low" emission standards are entitled to be exempt from or are allowed to implement a minimum level of production cuts during smog days.

However, an executive at the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) at the same conference warned of insufficient "clean capacity" in the steel industry despite the record high output.

"I hope the government can adopt fair measures in its anti-smog campaign by protecting and supporting clean and advanced steel producers," said CISA Chairman He Wenbo.

In the first five months of this year, China's crude steel output increased by 10.2% from a year earlier to reach 404.88 million tonnes.&nbsp;

Of the incremental output, 54% comes from small steel firms whose emission level is typically lower compared with their mid- and big-sized rivals, He said.

"Mills are investing huge amounts of money to improve their emission levels...they are the real heroes in the war against pollution."

China will continue to enforce production restrictions in heavy industry in winter this year and will tighten its emission assessment on steel mills when granting exemptions from curbs already in place, an environment ministry official said on Saturday.

China will continue to enforce production restrictions in heavy industry in winter this year and will tighten its emission assessment on steel mills when granting exemptions from curbs already in place, an environment ministry official said on Saturday. With increasing discontent over large-scale industrial shutdowns, Beijing has vowed to adopt more effective and targeted measures during its war against air pollution by imposing different levels of output cuts on companies based on their emission situation. "The steel industry remains a major contributor of pollutants despite improvement in emission levels and production restrictions. This year, there will not be many first-class firms that will be exempt from curbs," Liu Bingjiang, the head of the atmospheric environment department at Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), told an industrial conference. Liu said MEE will bring in industrial associations to carry out emission assessments on mills to avoid fraud in the emission upgrading process. "We will hand out severe punishment to mills who play tricks and will enforce the highest level of production restrictions on them," said Liu, adding that he had noticed that investment and operational costs of emission upgrade at mills varied from less than 20 yuan ($2.91) a tonne to as high as 270 yuan a tonne in steel-making. China, the world's biggest steel producer, has ordered mills in key regions, including Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Fenwei Plain and the Yangtze River Delta, to meet ultra-low emission standards by 2020. That would include more than 60% of steel capacity in the country. Companies who attain "ultra-low" emission standards are entitled to be exempt from or are allowed to implement a minimum level of production cuts during smog days. However, an executive at the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) at the same conference warned of insufficient "clean capacity" in the steel industry despite the record high output. "I hope the government can adopt fair measures in its anti-smog campaign by protecting and supporting clean and advanced steel producers," said CISA Chairman He Wenbo. In the first five months of this year, China's crude steel output increased by 10.2% from a year earlier to reach 404.88 million tonnes. Of the incremental output, 54% comes from small steel firms whose emission level is typically lower compared with their mid- and big-sized rivals, He said. "Mills are investing huge amounts of money to improve their emission levels...they are the real heroes in the war against pollution."

China plans to toughen emission checks on steel mills

Pollution increased in some of China's major lakes, rivers and reservoirs in the first quarter even though the country's overall water quality improved, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday, citing the environment ministry.

Improvements were "imbalanced" and some regions faired far worse than others, it said, with cities in the provinces of Shanxi, Liaoning and Hubei singled out for failing to control pollution discharges.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-tough-rhetoric-leaves-trade-talks-with-us-in-limbo-219517">China measures</a> water quality according to six grades, with the highest three grades suitable for human consumption and the lowest "below grade V" level considered "without function" and unfit even for agricultural and industrial use.

China is committed to reducing the amount of "below grade V" water to 5% of total sampled sites by 2020, and to eliminate it completely in the industrialised Yangtze river delta and Bohai Bay regions. The proportion stood at 6.7% in 2018, down 0.6 percentage points from 2017.

But the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said one site in the city of Yichang in Hubei deteriorated so much in the first quarter of this year that it had been reclassified as "below grade V", and the province had also recorded five "below grade V" water samples in the city of Jingmen.

The urban infrastructure construction was still lagging in the Yangtze river delta region, it noted, and the sewage pipe network was still not sufficient to handle vast amounts of urban waste, with much of it dumped directly into rivers.

Excessive fertiliser use is also posing problems in southwest Yunnan province, where phosphorus and nitrogen run-offs are driving up pollution at Fuxian, one of China's biggest freshwater lakes, Xinhua said, citing a ministry official.

The environment ministry said in a review of monitoring data published late on Friday that as many as 82 Chinese enterprises exceeded emissions standards in the fourth quarter of 2018, including 44 sewage treatment plants. Many were accused of dumping chemicals directly into nearby rivers.

Pollution increased in some of China's major lakes, rivers and reservoirs in the first quarter even though the country's overall water quality improved, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday, citing the environment ministry.

Pollution increased in some of China's major lakes, rivers and reservoirs in the first quarter even though the country's overall water quality improved, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday, citing the environment ministry. Improvements were "imbalanced" and some regions faired far worse than others, it said, with cities in the provinces of Shanxi, Liaoning and Hubei singled out for failing to control pollution discharges. China measures water quality according to six grades, with the highest three grades suitable for human consumption and the lowest "below grade V" level considered "without function" and unfit even for agricultural and industrial use. China is committed to reducing the amount of "below grade V" water to 5% of total sampled sites by 2020, and to eliminate it completely in the industrialised Yangtze river delta and Bohai Bay regions. The proportion stood at 6.7% in 2018, down 0.6 percentage points from 2017. But the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said one site in the city of Yichang in Hubei deteriorated so much in the first quarter of this year that it had been reclassified as "below grade V", and the province had also recorded five "below grade V" water samples in the city of Jingmen. The urban infrastructure construction was still lagging in the Yangtze river delta region, it noted, and the sewage pipe network was still not sufficient to handle vast amounts of urban waste, with much of it dumped directly into rivers. Excessive fertiliser use is also posing problems in southwest Yunnan province, where phosphorus and nitrogen run-offs are driving up pollution at Fuxian, one of China's biggest freshwater lakes, Xinhua said, citing a ministry official. The environment ministry said in a review of monitoring data published late on Friday that as many as 82 Chinese enterprises exceeded emissions standards in the fourth quarter of 2018, including 44 sewage treatment plants. Many were accused of dumping chemicals directly into nearby rivers.

China's water quality improvements 'imbalanced' in first quarter: Report

China's capital city Beijing has pledged to improve air quality this year but did not commit to a specific target, suggesting the country's air-pollution campaign is stalling as the easily attainable measures have already been taken.

"Beijing will keep improving air quality, with average annual concentrations of small particles (PM2.5) and three-year rolling average PM2.5 level continuing to be lowered," said Beijing Municipal Government in a statement on Wednesday.

Average concentrations of PM2.5, or particulate matter that measures 2.5 microns, in 2018 fell 12.1 per cent from 2017 to 51 micrograms per cubic metre, as a result of its stringent push to trim coal consumption and to clear out polluting plants.

However, Beijing's 2018 PM2.5 levels were still much higher than China's average of 39 micrograms per cubic metre and national target of 35 micrograms per cubic metre.

PM2.5 is a closely monitored air pollutant because its small size allows the particles to lodge deep in the lungs.

The World Health Organization recommends an air quality standard for PM2.5 of no more than 10 micrograms per cubic metre.

The Beijing government said it will target emissions from vehicles, the biggest PM2.5 source in the city, construction sites and manufacturing plants in 2019.

However, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) warned in a news briefing last month that "emission cuts in Beijing itself will be not enough to support a large scale of PM2.5 cuts".

The ministry reckons Beijing will also need to reduce external impacts from other regions, in particular from the coal-mining hub of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces.

"In a word, Beijing's target this year is to maintain current (anti-smog) achievements...Public should be prepared to see a rising PM2.5 reading if there is adverse weather condition," Liu Bingjiang, the head of the atmospheric environment department at the MEE, said at the briefing.

Average PM2.5 level in Beijing was 52 micrograms per cubic metre in January, up 52.9 per cent from a year ago, according to the MEE data.

The city also aims to improve its water quality and tackle soil pollution in 2019 by improving the efficiency of fertiliser usage in rural area and tightening heavy-metal disposal standards, according to the government statement.

China's capital city Beijing has pledged to improve air quality this year but did not commit to a specific target, suggesting the country's air-pollution campaign is stalling as the easily attainable measures have already been taken.

China's capital city Beijing has pledged to improve air quality this year but did not commit to a specific target, suggesting the country's air-pollution campaign is stalling as the easily attainable measures have already been taken. "Beijing will keep improving air quality, with average annual concentrations of small particles (PM2.5) and three-year rolling average PM2.5 level continuing to be lowered," said Beijing Municipal Government in a statement on Wednesday. Average concentrations of PM2.5, or particulate matter that measures 2.5 microns, in 2018 fell 12.1 per cent from 2017 to 51 micrograms per cubic metre, as a result of its stringent push to trim coal consumption and to clear out polluting plants. However, Beijing's 2018 PM2.5 levels were still much higher than China's average of 39 micrograms per cubic metre and national target of 35 micrograms per cubic metre. PM2.5 is a closely monitored air pollutant because its small size allows the particles to lodge deep in the lungs. The World Health Organization recommends an air quality standard for PM2.5 of no more than 10 micrograms per cubic metre. The Beijing government said it will target emissions from vehicles, the biggest PM2.5 source in the city, construction sites and manufacturing plants in 2019. However, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) warned in a news briefing last month that "emission cuts in Beijing itself will be not enough to support a large scale of PM2.5 cuts". The ministry reckons Beijing will also need to reduce external impacts from other regions, in particular from the coal-mining hub of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces. "In a word, Beijing's target this year is to maintain current (anti-smog) achievements...Public should be prepared to see a rising PM2.5 reading if there is adverse weather condition," Liu Bingjiang, the head of the atmospheric environment department at the MEE, said at the briefing. Average PM2.5 level in Beijing was 52 micrograms per cubic metre in January, up 52.9 per cent from a year ago, according to the MEE data. The city also aims to improve its water quality and tackle soil pollution in 2019 by improving the efficiency of fertiliser usage in rural area and tightening heavy-metal disposal standards, according to the government statement.

China's capital Beijing vows air quality improvement but gives no target