Ecology given priority in Yushu

YUSHU, Qinghai - The protection of the ecological environment will be given priority in the reconstruction of the earthquake-ravaged Yushu, which is the fountainhead for China's three major rivers - the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Lancang River, officials said.

"It (Yushu) is an important natural conservation area in China," Zhao Haoming, director of the Qinghai Environmental Protection Bureau, said at a press conference in the Yushu rescue and relief headquarters on Thursday.

"During the reconstruction, we will give full consideration to the ecological environment of the source of the three rivers and its surrounding areas," he said.