The development of China’s machinery industry in 2017 exceeded expectations

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Focus on comprehensive protection and avoid large-scale development. The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the **National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Water Resources have launched a reward policy for ecological restoration in the Yangtze River Economic Belt; by 2020, the central government plans to allocate 18 billion yuan to foster a collaborative approach to environmental protection. Liu Wei, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Finance, said at a meeting on ecological protection and restoration in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the promotion of a horizontal ecological compensation mechanism for this region, held in Chongqing, that the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Water Resources are implementing the decisions and arrangements of the **** and the State Council. They have devised comprehensive incentive and subsidy measures to support the establishment of a long-term mechanism for ecological compensation and protection in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, thereby providing support for such efforts through various channels. The incentive policies for ecological protection and restoration in the Yangtze River Economic Belt are an important part of this framework. They encourage the provinces located upstream and downstream within the river basin, as well as the cities and counties within each province, to establish horizontal ecological protection and compensation mechanisms across the basin, thereby strengthening the ecological security network of the region. These policies aim to accelerate the implementation of the protection and management measures outlined in relevant plans, and to foster the rapid development of a comprehensive system for protecting the Yangtze River. Liu Wei said that the relevant provinces, cities, and counties should actively promote joint consultation and cooperation, and the central government will provide tiered incentives depending on the progress made in establishing such mechanisms. Relevant local authorities should adopt a problem-oriented approach, and determine their key priorities based on the factors affecting water quality within the watershed. Financial authorities at all levels in the river basin should adjust and optimize the structure of fiscal expenditures, increase efforts to integrate and coordinate funds, and boost investment in the ecological protection and restoration of the river basin. Further strengthen the performance management of financial funds; the allocation of relevant special funds should be based primarily on factors such as the status of ecological protection and restoration, in order to enhance incentives and constraints. It is understood that regarding the allocation of funds for rewards, from 2017 to 2020, the central government allocated 18 billion yuan through special funds for water pollution control. Of this amount, 3 billion yuan was allocated in 2017, with an additional 150 billion yuan planned to be allocated over the three years from 2018 to 2020. Furthermore, at the meeting, Yunnan Province, Guizhou Province, and Sichuan Province signed a horizontal ecological protection and compensation agreement for the Chishui River basin. Some cities and counties in Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Chongqing Municipality have signed horizontal ecological protection compensation agreements to strengthen the incentives and constraints for ecological protection.