Chinese courts conclude 457,400 cases on Yangtze River protection in 4 years

Chinese courts in 19 provincial-level regions in the Yangtze River basin have concluded 457,400 first-instance cases related to the river's protection since the Yangtze River Protection Law was put into effect four years ago, according to the Supreme People's Court.

The Yangtze River Protection Law, China's first legislation on a specific river basin, came into effect on March 1, 2021.

To date, a total of 45 Chinese environmental and resource-related cases, including those related to Yangtze River protection, has been included in the United Nations Environment Program database, alongside eight judicial reports.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) and China should cherish the historical experience of jointly resisting aggression and continue to work together for a prosperous future, said ROK President Lee Jae Myung.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office last year.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee said that humanity must learn from the past to prevent the tragedy of war from repeating itself.

"While pursuing their own national interests to the fullest extent, countries must not harm the national interests of others, but should coexist peacefully. The act of invading other countries and massacring their people for one's own benefit must never be repeated. History of humanity often repeats itself, therefore we must learn from the past. In this regard, I believe the historical experience of ROK and China in resisting aggression and fighting together is invaluable. Of course, while historical experience is important, we cannot remain stuck in the past. For a better future for the people of both countries, we need to continuously explore possibilities for working together towards the future," said the president.