China's air and water quality continued to improve in the first seven months of this year, with major indicators showing notable gains, Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said at a press conference on Thursday.
The minister highlighted several figures to reflect the country's steady progress in pollution control and environmental governance as it continues to advance green development during the current Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
"From January to July this year, the average density of particulate matter with a maximum diameter of 2.5 micrometers or PM2.5 dropped by 1.8 micrograms per cubic meter year on year, a decrease of 6.2 percent. Meanwhile, the proportion of days with good air quality rose by 3.9 percentage points over the same period. For surface water, 86.5 percent of monitored sections were graded Class I to III, up 2.4 percentage points from the same period last year," Huang said.
China classifies surface water quality into five grades, with Class I being the best.
China reports continued environmental improvement in Jan-July
