Public 'vital' for efforts

BEIJING - Public participation plays a crucial role in the country's environmental protection efforts, vice-environment minister Zhang Lijun said on Thursday.

"Nongovernmental organizations have provided favorable assistance to China's environmental authorities," Zhang said, citing both the State-funded Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences and Greenpeace, an international organization famous for its radical campaigns, as examples.

The public has also played an active role in reporting illegal emissions from enterprises, providing useful clues for environmental supervision and facilitated law enforcement.