China achieves major progress in building water infrastructure

China has built the world's largest, most comprehensive water infrastructure system that benefits the greatest number of people, with its national water network now extending across 80.3 percent of the country's land area.

Sunday marked both the 34th World Water Day and the opening of the 39th China Water Week.

In the rural water supply sector, the country has established a system that serves the largest rural population globally, achieving a nationwide rural tap water coverage rate of 96 percent.

Meanwhile, China has reached a new milestone in the number of water conservancy projects. With about 95,000 reservoirs and dams boasting a total storage capacity of over one trillion cubic meters, the country now ranks first in the world in the number of reservoirs, the number of high dams, and the variety of dam types.

While driving development, China continues to lead globally in water use efficiency. Despite significant economic growth and consecutive yearly increases in grain output, the country has kept its total annual water consumption below 610 billion cubic meters.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China began construction on 181 major water conservancy projects, 65 more than during the period from 2016 to 2020, and completed the investment of 5.68 trillion yuan (around 822.6 billion U.S. dollars) in water conservancy construction, with an annual investment exceeding one trillion yuan for four consecutive years since 2022.

The period also saw over 53 million mu (about 3.5 million hectares) of newly added irrigated farmland. By the end of 2025, China had built 6,924 large and medium-sized irrigation areas, bringing the total irrigated farmland to over 1.09 billion mu (about 72.7 million hectares). Grain output from irrigated farmland accounted for 80.76 percent of the national total, solidifying the water conservancy foundation for national food security.

In addition, during the past five years, China brought over 340,000 square kilometers of soil erosion area under control, raising the national soil and water conservation rate to 73.09 percent, marking significant progress in water ecological governance.

China achieves major progress in building water infrastructure

China achieves major progress in building water infrastructure

Enterprises from the United States are welcome to seize the development opportunities in China and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with the country, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said in Beijing on Sunday.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with a delegation of the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC).

Noting that China-U.S. ties are the world's most important bilateral relations, He said it is hoped that the USCBC will continue to play its role as a bridge to promote friendly exchanges and the steady and healthy development of economic and trade relations between China and the United States.

It is also hoped that U.S. enterprises can fully seize the development opportunities in China, make good use of the potential of the Chinese market, and inject more stability and positive energy into China-U.S. economic and trade relations, He added.

Rajesh Subramaniam, board chair of the USCBC, Sean Stein, president of the USCBC, and other members from the delegation noted that the U.S. business sector is optimistic about China's economic development prospects. They expressed the willingness to further explore the Chinese market, play an active role, and continuously deepen the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

U.S. enterprises are welcome to seize development opportunities in China: vice premier