According to the news of January 10 by chinanews.com from Beijing, the information provided by the State Administration for Environment Protection indicates, up to the end of December 2004, the State Administration for Environment Protection has nominated a total of 44 national paragon cities of environment protection and 3 national model urban areas in this respect.

Person in charge concerned with the State Administration for Environment Protection expressed, the nomination of the "national paragon cities of environment protection" is a "green card" and a "gold brand" for the city with a very high content of gold. The creation of a national paragon city of environment protection shows that the very city government has already made the governance for the people, earnest implementation of scientific viewpoint for development and correct view in view of political achievement to be embodied in their concrete actions, thus making the city an important carrier in the creation of the best living environment for people and the best environment for investment. Since the State Administration for Environment Protection began to conduct the activity in 1997, the work has received a daily increasing attention and concern from governments at all levels and all walks of life in society from year to year. As introduced by the person in charge concerned, the State Administration for Environment Protection nominated the most of such model cities, numbering 11 national paragon cities and 1 model urban area in total in 2004.

All national paragon cities of environment protection nominated in 2004 feature their own respective characteristics. Take Wuxi for example, with creating a model city of environment protection to take the lead the city has carried out the pollution treatment in the reaches emphatically circled out by the state and so the way as done in Wuxi is of typical significance. Spreading out in the reaches of Lake Tai, the city of Wuxi made the water pollution as an outstanding contradiction underwent a period of 3 years for creating a paragon city of environment protection and in the very course the city by using an investment of over 10 billion yuan for an integrated treatment of Wuli Lake, Meiliang Lake and the waterways in city districts has made the water quality to take a distinctive turn for the better, and afterwards there appears once again the angling and fishing activities along the Grand Canal running from Beijing to Hangzhou and the old canal in the city.

It has also witnessed an obvious increase in number of the paragon cities in the west. The Klamai and Korla in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, though weak in natural endowment and limited in financial support have been brave enough in the creation of model cities and they have obtained outstanding achievements in the prevention and treatment of industrial pollution and the environment construction and finally realized the goal in creating a model city. This has offered a relatively good experience to and a demonstration for the work of city environment protection in the great western regions.

By People's Daily Online