Environmental Protection Attempts in the Early Days …
109
Zhou Enlai made 29 speeches on environmental protection. It is precisely because
of the repeated mentioning by Zhou Enlai that people began to pay more attention
to environmental protection. Zhou Enlai presided over the economic reform after
1971. The stabilization of domestic political and economic situation created favorable conditions for people to pay more attention to environmental issues and adopt
environmental protection measures.
In the 1960s, environmental disasters occurring frequently in western industrialized countries gripped the entire international community. For this reason, the United
Nations decided to hold the first human environment conference in Stockholm in June
1972 and sent an invitation to China. In those days, under leadership of Zhou Enlai, the
Chinese government overcame various challenges and sent a delegation composed
of representatives from the State Planning Commission, the Ministry of Fuel and
Chemical Technology, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to
attend the conference. This conference let many Chinese people, at least the Chinese
participants, realize that China also had environmental problems. The Chinese delegation came to the conclusion that “the environmental problems in Chinese cities are
no less serious than those in Western countries, and ecological problems in China
are far more serious than those in Western countries.” From ignorance of environmental problems and refusing to recognize environmental problems to recognition
of the seriousness of environmental problems is a major change in understanding.
The report after the delegation returned to China prompted Zhou Enlai to immediately convene a national conference to study environmental issues. On January
8, 1973, the State Planning Commission submitted the Request for Convening a
National Environmental Protection Conference to the State Council, suggesting that
the National Environmental Protection Conference be held on August 5 of that year.
Subsequently, a conference preparation team was established. After approval by the
central government, the State Planning Commission issued an advance notice on
January 20, notifying relevant departments and agencies that the first National Environmental Protection Conference would be hold in early August. After the notice
was issued, all central departments and agencies and governments of provinces, cities
and districts began to prepare materials required by the conference. After sufficient
preparations, China’s first National Environmental Protection Conference was held in
Beijing in August 1973. In the process, Chinese people’s awareness of environmental
protection began to awaken.
During this period, due to Zhou Enlai’s repeated mentioning and the awakening
of Chinese people’s awareness of environmental protection, and in order to support
the convening of the first national environmental protection conference, central and
local governments began to step up environmental protection efforts. During this
period, the focus of China’s environmental protection efforts was still on the treatment
and comprehensive utilization of industrial waste. Especially worth mentioning are
following achievements:
(1) The Chinese government proposed the first environmental protection policy
since the founding the PRC. In 1971, to better guide environmental protection efforts, Zhou Enlai proposed to plan environment protection in a holistic,
109
Zhou Enlai made 29 speeches on environmental protection. It is precisely because
of the repeated mentioning by Zhou Enlai that people began to pay more attention
to environmental protection. Zhou Enlai presided over the economic reform after
1971. The stabilization of domestic political and economic situation created favorable conditions for people to pay more attention to environmental issues and adopt
environmental protection measures.
In the 1960s, environmental disasters occurring frequently in western industrialized countries gripped the entire international community. For this reason, the United
Nations decided to hold the first human environment conference in Stockholm in June
1972 and sent an invitation to China. In those days, under leadership of Zhou Enlai, the
Chinese government overcame various challenges and sent a delegation composed
of representatives from the State Planning Commission, the Ministry of Fuel and
Chemical Technology, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to
attend the conference. This conference let many Chinese people, at least the Chinese
participants, realize that China also had environmental problems. The Chinese delegation came to the conclusion that “the environmental problems in Chinese cities are
no less serious than those in Western countries, and ecological problems in China
are far more serious than those in Western countries.” From ignorance of environmental problems and refusing to recognize environmental problems to recognition
of the seriousness of environmental problems is a major change in understanding.
The report after the delegation returned to China prompted Zhou Enlai to immediately convene a national conference to study environmental issues. On January
8, 1973, the State Planning Commission submitted the Request for Convening a
National Environmental Protection Conference to the State Council, suggesting that
the National Environmental Protection Conference be held on August 5 of that year.
Subsequently, a conference preparation team was established. After approval by the
central government, the State Planning Commission issued an advance notice on
January 20, notifying relevant departments and agencies that the first National Environmental Protection Conference would be hold in early August. After the notice
was issued, all central departments and agencies and governments of provinces, cities
and districts began to prepare materials required by the conference. After sufficient
preparations, China’s first National Environmental Protection Conference was held in
Beijing in August 1973. In the process, Chinese people’s awareness of environmental
protection began to awaken.
During this period, due to Zhou Enlai’s repeated mentioning and the awakening
of Chinese people’s awareness of environmental protection, and in order to support
the convening of the first national environmental protection conference, central and
local governments began to step up environmental protection efforts. During this
period, the focus of China’s environmental protection efforts was still on the treatment
and comprehensive utilization of industrial waste. Especially worth mentioning are
following achievements:
(1) The Chinese government proposed the first environmental protection policy
since the founding the PRC. In 1971, to better guide environmental protection efforts, Zhou Enlai proposed to plan environment protection in a holistic,