The seventh Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team stationed in Shandong Province a couple of days ago upon the approval of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, in a bid to launch environmental inspection there, as part of the efforts to implement the guidelines of the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on promoting ecological progress and protecting the environment, and the major decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. The inspection team held a mobilization meeting in Jinan on Aug. 10. The Chief Inspector Ma Zhongping and Deputy Chief Inspector Liu Hua delivered remarks on doing well in the inspection. Secretary of the CPC Shandong provincial committee Liu Jiayi delivered a mobilization speech. The meeting was chaired by Gong Zheng, Governor of the provincial government.

Ma Zhongping pointed out that the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has taken all factors into consideration while implementing the overall plan for promoting economic, political, social, cultural and ecological progresses and balanced and promoted the “four-pronged comprehensive strategy”; it has put ecological development and environmental protection at a more important, strategic position. The environmental protection inspection is one of the major institutional arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council for promoting ecological progress and protecting the environment. General Secretary Xi Jinping highly valued it and required taking it as a cutting point to promote ecological progress, highlighting the equal responsibility of the Party and the government for environmental protection, and tightening the implementation of “one position with two responsibilities” system. With respect to the pilot inspection in Hebei Province, General Secretary Xi required adhering to the problem-oriented principle, and putting great efforts in revealing problems. In December 2016, Xi made another important instruction on intensifying the environmental inspection. Especially since the start of 2017, Xi has made multiple instructions on the central inspection, and required making greater efforts in the inspection, urging the local Party committees and governments to take environmental protection responsibilities, and gaining the people’s trust with tangible effects.

Ma Zhongping stressed that the inspection team has come to Shandong to lay emphasis on checking whether the provincial Party committee and provincial government have well implemented the national decisions and deployments for environmental protection, solved pressing environmental problems, and taken the main responsibility for protecting the environment in the province. The team will adhere to the problem-oriented principle, monitor closely the pressing environmental problems that have raised high attention of the central authorities, are strongly complained by the public, and have bad social ramifications, as well as how they are settled; inspect the areas and watersheds that have experienced deteriorating environmental quality and how they have been treated; check whether immediate actions have been taken to rectify the living environment problems reported by the people; check if there is any nonfeasance or misconduct by the local Party committee and relevant government departments; and check the performances of local Party committees and governments in sharing the responsibility for protecting the environment, how the “one position with two responsibilities” system has been implemented, and how the liabilities are accounted for. The party committees and governments at all levels in Shandong should work closely around the overall plan for promoting economic, political, social, cultural, and ecological progresses and the “four-pronged comprehensive strategy”, firmly embrace the “four awareness”, implement the new development concepts, and make sure the major decisions and deployments of the central authorities to take root and yield substantial effects.

In response, Liu Jiayi said the presence of the central inspection team in Shandong is a test of Shandong’s efforts in developing the “four awareness” and taking a clear-cut political stand, presents an invaluable opportunity for solving acute ecological and environmental problems and advancing the building of an eco-friendly Shandong, and is a strong catalyst for Shandong to make progresses in all fronts and open up new prospects for building an economically and culturally advanced province. The government departments at all levels in the province should resolutely implement the major instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, give full support to the inspection team, do not shun from, cover up, or white wash problems, and honestly accept the check of the inspection team. Also, they should strengthen organization, leadership, overall planning, and coordination, establish strict work disciplines, and rectify problems in a sweeping manner. Furthermore, they should take the central inspection as the driving force to win the battle against prominent environmental problems, make due contributions to the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the country as a whole, and greet the victorious opening of the 19th National Congress of the CPC with real actions and distinguished performances.

At the meeting, Liu Hua proposed requirements for cooperating with the inspection team, overseeing the rectifications, sharing the information, and providing adequate conditions for the inspection. Members of the inspection team, officials concerned with the National Office of Environmental Protection Inspection, and other members of the leaderships of the provincial Party committee and provincial government attended the meeting. Heads of the provincial people’s congress and provincial political advisory committee, Chief Judge of the provincial court and Chief Procurator of the provincial procuratorate, heads of the relevant departments under the provincial Party committee and government, as well as the leaderships of Jinan municipal Party committee and municipal government observed the meeting. The heads of the people’s congresses, advisory bodies, Party committees and governments, chief judges and chief procurators, as well as the heads of relevant departments of other prefectural cities and the counties directly under the provincial government observed the meeting via video conference system.

The third Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team is scheduled to stay in Shandong for about one month from Aug. 10 to Sep. 10. The contact number is 0531-69929173. The postal address is Mailbox #1013, Jinan Municipality. The inspection team will take phone calls between 08:00 and 20:00. According to the requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and the terms of reference of the inspection team, the team will accept and process complaints by letter and by telephone in respect of environmental protection in Shandong. Other problems falling out of the purview of the team will be transferred to the regions, organizations and departments concerned.