Legislators warn against coastal area pollution

As China experiences a rapidly expanding marine economy, lawmakers have warned of a grim situation in offshore pollution if the country lets its guard down.

A recent inspection commissioned by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, found that coastal waters at or below Grade IV, the lowest level in China's four-tier seawater quality grading system, dropped from 93,000 square kilometers in 2012 to 52,000 in 2017.

Despite this improvement, about 10 percent of the country's bays remain seriously polluted, and natural resources in 42 percent of coastal waters are being overexploited, Shen Yueyue, vice-chairwoman of the NPC Standing Committee, said while reporting the findings to the committee on Monday.