Public-interest lawsuit plan tested

Prosecuting departments have filed five public-interest lawsuits involving environmental pollution with the courts since July as part of a national pilot program aimed at protecting public resources.

In July, the Supreme People's Procuratorate launched a two-year pilot program in 13 provinces and regions, including Beijing, Shandong, Guangdong and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region to handle such litigation, SPP spokeswoman Xiao Wei said at a news briefing on Thursday.

"At present, the courts have accepted the five cases and are investigating," she said.