China underscores public interest litigations for rural environmental protection

BEIJING -- Chinese procuratorates have attached great importance to public interest litigations for enhancing the protection of the rural environment, said Wan Chun, an official with the Supreme People's Procuratorate, at a press conference March 5.

Procuratorates across the country handled 50,263 administrative and 2,870 civil public interest litigation cases related to the environment in 2019, said Wan.

As a result, 29,800 mu (around 2,000 hectares) of illegally exploited or occupied farmland were recovered or reclaimed, and over 13,500 mu of forest intended to boost public welfare were recovered.

Procuratorates also monitored and urged the restoration of more than 9,300 mu of illegally reclaimed or occupied grassland last year, Wan added.