On Monday, Minister of Environmental Protection Chen Jining delivered the government's first annual environment protection report to the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.

According to Chen, the country still faces great environmental challenges, and the carrying capacity of the country's resources and environment are approaching their limits. The air, water and soil pollution in the country are very serious and threaten the goal of comprehensively building a well-off society.

While environmental emergencies nationwide are showing a declining tendency, the regional and structural environmental risks are increasing.

For instance, 12 percent of the nation's hazardous chemical production plants are located less than 1 kilometer away from sensitive sites such as drinking water protection areas.

From now on the State Council, China's Cabenit, will report to the National People's Congress on the government's environment protection work every year, as required by the new Environment Protection Law.

According to the law, governments at the county level and above should report the local environmental situations and environmental protection work to local people's congress every year.