Emission of pollutants further reduced

A senior Chinese official says the government is confident the emission of major pollutants this year will be 10 percent lower than in 2006, adding that officials failing to reach that target will be given lower scores at their appraisals. Zhang Lijun, vice minister of environmental protection, made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, the top legislature.

The ministry says emissions of sulfur dioxide reached 22 million tons in 2009, down 4.6 percent from the previous year. And chemical oxygen demand or COD - a major gauge of water pollution - fell 3 percent to 12 million tons.

To ensure the implementation of pollutant control at various government levels, the central government is adjusting its official appraisal system.

Zhang Lijun, vice minister of environmental protection, made the remarks  at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the  National People's Congress, the top legislature.