Dear Council Members, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

　　With the joint efforts of all the participants, the 3rd meeting of CCICED Phase III will soon be concluded. This meeting is a great success. Premier Wen Jiabao met with Chinese and international Council members, listened to the recommendations of the Council and gave full consent to the unique function and positive influence of the Council. The theme of this year's AGM is "Agricultural and Rural Sustainable Development", which is of great significance. In the three days, the participants have focused on the cause of environment and development in China, especially the issue of the rural environmental protection and development of China, conducting extensive in-depth discussions and exchanges, and putting forth lots of excellent views and suggestions, which is very helpful to the Chinese government. I'd like to express my sincere thanks to all the Council Members, experts and friends.

　　Now, I have three points to make.

　　I. China's economic development and environmental protection situation

　　Currently, the overall economic situation in China is good with the economic operation that continue to head towards the expected target of macro control. Since the second half of last year, we have duly implemented a series of macro control policy measures in line with the unhealthy and unstable factors emerged in our economic development. Such measures and policies include encouraging and supporting grain production, strengthening land and credit management, limiting the over-rapid increase of the fixed-assets investment in some industries, enhancing the support to some vulnerable sectors, and regulating the economic operation. At present, these macro-economic control measures have achieved results. The national economy has maintained good momentum of stable and quick growth. In the first three quarters of this year, China's GDP amounts to 9,314.4 billion RMB, 9.5% over the same period last year. The growth speed is at the same pace with the increase of profit, and the returns and fiscal revenue of enterprises increased tremendously. It is sure that the yield of grain will increase. The annual grain production could surpass the preset goal. The tendency of over-rapid investment in fixed assets has been further curbed, and the financial operation is running stably on the whole. The international trade has increased significantly, and the amount of foreign investment continues to rise. The rate of employment and reemployment is expanding steadily. The income of the residents, especially that of the farmers has increased quite a lot. The social undertakings of all sectors are developing in a faster speed, and the reform of the economic institution has been further promoted. We'll be on high alert to the remaining problems in the field of agriculture, investment and prices. We'll continue to implement macro-control policies and measures and adopt more economic and legal means to consolidate the achievements of the macro-control and create conditions for the long-term stable development of the national economy.

　　This year, China's environmental protection has witnessed remarkable achievements. We have strengthened our efforts in pollution prevention of key river basins and regions, and promoted the water pollution prevention. By launching the special environmental protection activity of "Cleaning up the illegal polluting enterprises and safeguarding the public health", a group of enterprises with serious pollution are closed down. We have promoted the pilot demonstration work in key ecological function protected areas and nature reserves. We have strengthened the ecological protection monitoring on the exploration of resources such as mineral resources and tourism. A great amount of work has also been carried out in formulating environmental planning, reforming levy system of pollution discharge fees, establishing environmental emergency response mechanism, enhancing the EIA of the construction projects, and speeding up the construction of air and water pollution treatment facilities. These measures have generated positive effects. In the context of rapid economic growth, the environmental quality of the entire country remains stable on the whole, with that in some cities and regions improved to certain extent, and the eco-environmental conservation strengthened. In the meantime, we are clearly aware that there's still apparent conflict between environment and development in China. The energy and resource consumption is continuously increasing; the problems of environmental pollution and ecological deterioration remain still outstanding, and the tasks of environmental protection and ecological construction remain still arduous.

　　II. To Guide the Environmental Protection with the Concept of Scientific Development

　　Chinese government attaches great importance to the cause of environmental protection. We have put forward the principle that in order to develop advanced production, the concept of scientific development should be set up and implemented so as to promote the comprehensive and coordinated sustainable development. That is to conduct population control, resources saving and environmental protection in a sound way; adhere to the civilized development path of developed production, well-off life and sound ecology; exert governmental functions properly, and based on the full play of the market mechanism, enhance governmental control, monitoring and service capabilities, enhancing legislation construction and build up a material-saving society in an all-round way by relying on science and technology progress, vigorously promote circular economy and constantly improve the environmental protection. For the time being and in coming future, we will advance the following work by following the integrated principle:

　　1. Unified planning of urban and rural environmental protection. The task of urban pollution prevention in China is very heavy. We will continue to take the urban environmental protection as the major work of environmental protection so as to improve urban environmental quality earnestly. To tackle this issue, we are formulating and implementing the plan of economic restructuring in key cities so as to reduce pollution discharge from the sources. We have allocated fund to the construction of sewage treatment plants, collection pipeline networks and garbage treatment facilities, treatment of air pollution and improving the comprehensive capacity of urban sustainable development. Meanwhile, we will adopt more effective measures in a bid to improve environmental situation in rural areas in the context of new situation and new problems of increasing non-point source pollution of agriculture and in rural areas, including agricultural restructuring, vigorous development of ecological farming and organic agriculture, improvement of agricultural production pattern, scientific use of pesticide, fertilizers and agricultural-using film, strict control over poultry and fishing pollution, promoting the comprehensive treatment of rural environment, treatment of rural sewage and garbage according to local situations, promotion of the application of renewable energies such as bio-gas, continuing to carry out the conservation of wetlands, active prevention of desertification and stone desertification and proper regulating the ecological water use in river basins.

　　2. Unified planning of regional environmental protection. The natural conditions in different regions are quite different from one another and their social and economic developments are not in balance either. Environmental protection needs to focus on priorities and give guidance in categories. In the key areas and regions such as Huai River, Hai River, Liao River, Tai Lake, Chao Lake and Tianchi Lake, the SO2 pollution control zone and acid rain control zone, Beijing, Bohai Sea, the Three Gorges Reservoir area and areas along the "water diversion project", the population is fairly concentrated, with serious influence of the pollution. We will allocate resources together and coordinate our activities in order to promote pollution prevention in these regions. Meanwhile, the environmental status in western China has direct relation with the environmental security in eastern and central China and the entire country, and especially with the fragile natural ecological ecology in northwestern China. We will summarize the experiences, improve our policies, and go on with the promotion of reverting cultivated land into forests, reverting animal husbandry areas into grasslands, protecting natural forests and the treatment of the sources of sandstorms of Beijing and Tianjin, as well as the pollution prevention in central cities of western China and water pollution prevention of rivers and lakes. As to the entire country, industrial restructuring and upgrading in over-developed regions so as to gradually reduce the ecological and environmental pressure caused by development. For regions with great potential in development, work will be conducted to enhance planning and guidance as well as utilizing environmental load and the limited resources in a rational and scientific way. For important ecological function zoning areas and protected areas, we will adhere to the policy of "Protecting First" in order to restrict or prohibit any development activity that is harmful to ecological system and bio-diversity.

　　3. Unified planning of preventing and controlling pollution caused by production and daily lives. We will further enhance pollution control resulting from production. Measures will be taken to strengthen structural reforms and continuously eliminate out-of-date production processes, technologies and equipment as well as enterprises with heavy pollution. We will strictly implement total pollution control system, supervise enterprises to make sure they meet pollution discharge standards and punish the violation of environmental laws. Cleaner production will be actively promoted. Measures such as planning and appropriate guidance, policy support and product authentication can be applied to encourage enterprises to adopt advanced technologies and cleaner production processes to renovate production processes. Environmental access system will be improved and standardized. EIA and supervision will be conducted for activities such as industry development program, development construction and industrial production according to the laws. Projects with high consumption of resources and heavy pollution will be prohibited. Meanwhile, we will enhance the control of domestic pollution in both urban and rural areas. Pollution prevention and control on institutions will be reinforced by means of strict management of medical wastewater, supervision on wastes and environmental friendly disposal. We will advocate green production and life, and civilized consumption mode. The classification, recycling and comprehensive utilization system of garbage will be established in order to minimize the amount of waste, re-utilize waste and dispose them in environmental friendly way so as to set up the ecologically economic system.

　　4. Unified Coordination of Domestic Environmental Protection and International Cooperation on Environment. The environmental protection in China is an important component of the global environmental protection. Chinese Government will focus on the solution of domestic environment and development problems and actively protect and improve the living and production environment for the people. We will also further strengthen the international cooperation in the field of environment, actively introducing advanced technologies and management skills so as to promote frog-leaping development of domestic environmental protection. As always, we will actively take part in global environmental affairs, implement international environment conventions, and contribute to the settlement of environment and development problem confronting the mankind. It should be noted that, the protection of the global environment and realization of global sustainable development demand concerted efforts across the world. We appeal that the developed countries should take more responsibilities of protecting the global environment in a more active attitude, and increase environmental financial aid to the developing countries, enhancing international communication and cooperation on environmental technologies and management experiences, reducing or even eliminating trade barriers resulting from the over-strict environmental standards so as to facilitate harmonious development of environmental protection and international trade. Furthermore, we should further expand our market, reduce the pressure on the resources and environment in developing countries and promote rational utilization of the resources in the global context.

　　III. Further Enhance the Role of CCICED

　　CCICED has long been dedicated to specific studies, project demonstration and policy consultation on major issues in the field of environment and development in China, with lots of achievements. For example, it has put forward recommendations on the mid and long-term programs such as China's Tenth Five Year Plan and Development Program of Western China; provided recommendations on formulating laws and regulations such as the Law of PRC on the Prevention of Ambient Noises and the Law of PRC on the Prevention of Air Pollution; supported the formulation and mechanism innovation of China's environmental protection policies, and promoted local environmental protection in China. The influence of CCICED is growing both in China and the world. It has become a model for the international cooperation and exchanges on environment.

　　Since the 2nd Meeting of CCICED Phase III, relevant parties have carried out studies of five Task Forces on sustainable agricultural and rural development, agricultural non-point source pollution control, integrated river basin management, protected areas, and WTO and environment. It has formulated a series of study reports and put forth lots of valuable recommendations on safeguarding crop security and environmental safety, improving the living conditions of farmers and the rural environment, adjusting agricultural structure and preventing pollution, enhancing comprehensive management of water use, investing in the basic rural resources and promoting rational migration of rural population to cities, which will have important and positive influences on promoting the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas in China.

　　At present, China is studying and formulating the Eleventh Five Year Plan of National Economy and Social Development. We will identify the overall scheme and key strategies for the development till 2020 in a scientific way in the light of the requirements for following the new path of industrialization and building China into a well-off society of Xiangkang in an all round way. One important issue to be studied is how to carry out the people-oriented scientific development concept, promote the harmonious development of man and nature, and enhance the weak areas of ecological environment in a down-to-earth attitude so as to achieve the continuing rapid, and healthy coordinated development of the national economy and all-round progress of the society. I hope the Council members, the experts and the Secretariat of CCICED pay close attention to the researches of the Eleventh Five Year Plan and continue to make contributions to the environment and development in China.

　　The theme for the next AGM of CCICED has been preliminarily identified as "Sustainable Urban Development". The Task Forces on "Strategy Researches on Circular Economy", "Analysis on Economic Growth and Environment" and "Regional Sustainable Development" that will soon kick off the work are of great significance. The on-going Task Force on "Sustainable Transportation", "Pricing of Environment and Natural Resources and Taxation Policies" should further promote their work. The Secretariat of CCICED should make close contacts with experts in all fields, design the right research topics, organize resources, promote relevant researches, and summarize all findings in time so as to put forward far-sighted and operational policy recommendations to the Chinese Government.

　　In the new context, I sincerely hope that CCICED will be more vigorous, more creative, pay more attention to communication and exchanges, fully exert the influence and wisdom of the Council members, enhance the contacts and exchanges with relevant Chinese government departments, the public of China and international communities, and strengthen the exchanges and communications among Council members so as to continuously expand the influence of CCICED in and abroad. Active efforts should be devoted to conducting policy consultations and project demonstration so as to make the work of CCICED more flexible, more effective and more specifically targeted and continuously further promote the international cooperation on environment and development.

　　Now I announce the successful close of the Third Meeting of CCICED Phase III.

　　I wish good health and a pleasant journey to all Council members and participants.

　　Thank you!