Waste imports to face stronger oversight

China's environmental watchdog has approved two action plans, vowing to further crack down on the smuggling of overseas garbage while maintaining a tough stance against pollution caused by processing of imported waste.

The 2018-20 action plan for implementation of the country's reform plan to ban waste imports and the 2018 action plan for inspections on pollution caused by processing imported waste were approved on Monday by the first executive meeting of the newly established Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

"The ban on foreign garbage imports is a landmark measure for the country's construction of an ecological civilization and should be implemented unswervingly and effectively," the ministry said in an online statement.