Chinese Premier Li Qiang has signed a State Council decree promulgating a regulation on the monitoring of the ecological environment.

The new regulation, which will take effect on January 1, 2026, comprises seven chapters and 49 articles. It aims to standardize ecological environment monitoring activities, enhance monitoring capabilities and ensure the quality of relevant data.

The regulation emphasizes the need to accelerate the development of a modern ecological environment monitoring system, with a focus on comprehensively enhancing the automation, digitization and smart capabilities of ecological environment monitoring.

It highlights improved public monitoring by establishing an ecological environment monitoring network based on the principles of rational layout, comprehensive functionality, classification and shared development.

It also stresses strengthened supervision and monitoring of various pollution sources, as well as monitoring and early warning for ecological environment risks. Additionally, it mandates the establishment of a robust monitoring and management system for emergent ecological environment incidents.

Regarding technical service organizations, the regulation stipulates that such entities must possess the necessary equipment, technical capabilities, professional personnel and management capacity, and are required to register with environmental authorities.

Furthermore, the regulation underscores enhanced oversight and stricter accountability measures.

(Cover: A view of the Huangbai River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province, December 11, 2024. /VCG)