Ecological protection stepped up

15 provincial regions will draw red lines for demarcated area by the end of year

China has designated 610,000 square kilometers of land as key ecological zones with a fragile environmental status. The demarcated area covers 15 provincial regions, including Beijing, and is intended to strengthen ecological protection, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced on Monday.

The protected zones, approved by the State Council, or the country's Cabinet, cover about 25 percent of the entire territorial area of these regions, including 11 provincial regions along the Yangtze River basin, according to the ministry.