China has vowed more action to protect its special ecological areas and maintain the country’s stable yet fragile ecosystem.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment said at a news conference on Sept 29 that China will set up a satellite and ground monitoring and control system, and perfect its policies and regulations.

“We will continuously improve our supervision and law enforcement, as well as provide a solid guarantee for the safety and quality enhancement of the ecosystem on our land,” ministry spokesperson Cui Shuhong told press.

The “Green Shield” mission

The ministry also highlighted the recent efforts in the “Green Shield” mission, which aims to rectify polluters in ecological reserves.

The mission started in March this year and about 900 government officials were held accountable. Some 14,000 cases are under investigation and over 1,800 companies were shut down.

And the mission will continue in 31 provincial areas.

The spokesperson said that the mission has achieved a good deterrent effect and further information will be released later this year.

The “red line”

The ministry has also talked about the “red line” it drew around key ecological criteria last year.

It says that 15 provinces have released their detailed lines and plans while 16 others are pushing forward the efforts.

In 2017, the State Council issued regulatory documents on the “ecological red line,” which sets goals at different phases until 2030 when the ecosystem of the country could be fully guaranteed.

A national ecosystem supervision platform is being built with investment of over 286 million yuan ($41.6 million). It hopes to be completed by the end of 2020.

The ministry’s news conference on Sept 29 is its first after the State Council signed the document on Sept 28 to reassign State organ functions, including that of the ministry, previously known as the Ministry of Environmental Protection.