After the June 5 World Environment Day, China is also marking an energy-saving awareness week from June 14-21.  In a related meeting on Thursday, Vice Premier Li Keqiang said that energy-saving, environmentally-friendly industries should be made a new growth engine for China's economy.  Green development is China's long-term development strategy. Energy saving and emission reduction are also part of the government's measures to stimulate domestic consumption and boost growth.

Last week, the Ministry of Environmental Protection halted several large projects that might pose environmental risks.  One of them is a large water power project in the upstream of the Yangtze River, due to its lack of comprehensive environmental assessment.  Another involves a coal power plant that consumes excessive amount of water resources due to the switch of cooling process.  And the third includes two steelmaking projects that violate China's industrial development strategy and environmental protection policy.