Jiangsu pledges to rejuvenate the waterway

The chemical industry contributes greatly to Jiangsu's economy, but since 2016, authorities in the eastern province have closed 3,000 heavily polluting factories to protect the Yangtze River.

From January to October, 882 chemical factories and 1,421 factories that failed to meet environmental protection standards were closed, according to the Jiangsu Ecology and Environment Department.

The Yangtze runs for 400 kilometers through the province, providing 80 percent of the water used for drinking and industrial production.