Govt prioritizes greener Yangtze

China has made environmental protection and restoration a top priority in its development plan for the Yangtze River economic belt, a senior official said on Sunday while discussing the national plan to boost the economy along China's longest river.

The development of the economic belt will follow a green path, with the strictest environmental protection and water resources management measures, according to an official with the leading group of the Yangtze River economic belt development.

The official said China aimed to markedly improve the environment of the economic belt by 2020, with over 75 percent of the region's water meeting Grade III standard or above and forest coverage reaching 43 percent.