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To thoroughly implement the General Secretary’s approach to water management, which emphasizes giving priority to water conservation, ensuring spatial balance, adopting systematic governance strategies, and taking multiple approaches simultaneously, as well as his important remarks on water management, and to actively explore and standardize the trading of water rights in the Yellow River basin, the Ministry of Water Resources has recently issued the \"Opinions on Actively Exploring and Standardizing the Trading of Water Rights across Provinces and Regions in the Yellow River Basin\" (hereinafter referred to as the \"Opinions\"). These opinions outline the overall plans and arrangements for the trading of water rights across provinces and regions in the Yellow River basin for the present and the coming period. The Guidelines state that it is necessary to actively explore and standardize the promotion of water rights trading across provinces and regions in the Yellow River basin. Efforts should be made to establish, within 2–3 years, a water rights trading system in this basin characterized by clear ownership, defined responsibilities, smooth transfers, and effective supervision. The reform of water rights should enable optimal allocation and more efficient, sustainable use of water resources, thereby providing strong support for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin. The “Opinions” make specific arrangements for carrying out water rights trading across provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin from five key aspects. First, improve the initial allocation system for water rights. Clarify and refine regional water rights, strictly determine the water withdrawal rights of users, and clarify the water usage rights of users within irrigation areas and public water supply networks. Second, actively promote the trading of water rights across provinces and regions. Regional exchanges of water use rights for surpluses, reserves, or unused water within the regional available water volume, as well as for surplus water amounts specified in the annual water allocation plans, are encouraged. It allows for the paid transfer of the saved water withdrawal rights by users who withdraw water, as well as of the temporary surplus water withdrawal quotas held by the entities responsible for managing water resource allocation projects until those projects reach full operational efficiency. Innovate measures for cross-provincial water rights trading. Third, improve the water rights trading platform system. Strengthen the application of the national water rights trading system and promote the relatively centralized trading of water rights. Fourth, improve the water resource monitoring system. Accelerate the development of the water resources monitoring system, and strengthen water use rights trading as well as information sharing in water resources management. Fifth, strengthen the supervision of the water rights trading market. Implement a negative list system for water rights trading and strengthen daily supervision over such transactions. The Guidelines emphasize that the Yellow River Water Resources Commission and the relevant provincial water administration departments should strengthen organizational leadership, communication and coordination, as well as publicity and guidance. The water rights trading platform must provide adequate support services, and efforts should be made to develop a sound system for water rights trading in the Yellow River basin as an important measure to implement strict regulations on water resources use, promote their optimal allocation, and encourage efficient and sustainable use of these resources. Together, these efforts can help create a favorable environment for the advancement of water rights trading.