This Day, That Year

Item from March 16, 1996, in China Daily: Qu Geping (seated, left), chairman of the Environment and Resources Protection Committee of the National People's Congress, and his colleague Lin Zonglang answer questions at a press conference in Beijing yesterday. To bring pollution and massive land erosion under control, the government has speeded up legislation, Qu said.

China has been fighting pollution and environmental degradation after decades of fast economic growth left the country saddled with problems such as smog and contaminated soil and water.

To address these issues, the country is stepping up legislative measures.