BEIJING: China has rejected 17 construction projects with a total investment of $17.6 billion, attempting to bolster environmental protection strategies and fight corruption.
The projects were among 92 examined by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), involving a total of more than 700 billion yuan ($112.6 billion) in investment, Chinese media reported on Friday.
The projects’ rejection was said to improve the environmental impact assessment system and fix loopholes that allow corruption.
The protection ministry has ordered all the environmental impact assessment agencies cut their links to government at all levels by the end of 2016.
It has also launched random inspections of agencies and disqualified dozens of agencies and engineers.
