China closes 7,000 enterprises for pollution violations in 5 years

Chinese authorities have investigated over 80,000 cases of violation of environmental protection laws, and closed 7,293 offending enterprises over the past five years, says a white paper issued on Thursday. China has established a system of national environmental protection standards, and had implemented over 1,300 national environmental protection standards by the end of 2010, says the white paper, titled "The Socialist System of Laws with Chinese Characteristics" and issued by the Information Office of the State Council. China attaches great importance to the protection of the ecological environment for mankind's survival and sustainable development, the white paper says. The state has promulgated the Environmental Protection Law, which lays down the basic principle of coordinated development of economic construction, social development and environmental protection, and dictates that governments at all levels, all organizations and individuals have the right and duty to protect the environment. Moreover, the State Council has formulated the administrative regulations and the local people's congresses, in the light of the specific local conditions in their respective areas, have drawn up a large number of local regulations on environmental protection, the white paper says.