The Supreme People's Court convenes a meeting in Weinan city in Northwest China's Shaanxi province to push for the implementation of the Yellow River Protection Law, and advance judicial services for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, on May 29, 2024. [Photo/court.gov.cn] 

On May 29, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) convened a meeting in Weinan city, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, to push for the implementation of the Yellow River Protection Law, which took effect in April last year, and advance judicial services for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.

He Wei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, attends the meeting and delivers a speech. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Zhang Jun, president of the Supreme People's Court, attends the meeting and delivers a speech. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

He Wei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Zhang Jun, president of the SPC, attended the meeting and delivered speeches.

The meeting was held to facilitate exchange of experiences in implementing the Yellow River Protection Law and to explore ways to better serve and safeguard the ecological conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin as a national strategy.

Speaking at the meeting, He, who is also chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, said that since the law took effect, the SPC and courts in the nine provinces and autonomous regions along the Yellow River have adhered to serving the nation's overall development and upheld justice for the people by continuously strengthening the judicial protection and restoration of the ecological environment in the region, adding that they have provided high-quality judicial services for the high-quality development of the region, making positive contributions to the peace and stability of the Yellow River.

Noting that judicial work plays an indispensable and crucial role in law-based ecological conservation in the Yellow River Basin, He called for more efforts to further promote the river's governance in accordance with the law and to comprehensively advance the effective protection of the Yellow River through good governance.

In his speech, Zhang emphasized the need to actively fulfill the responsibilities of people's courts in the high-quality development of the Yellow River while ensuring its high-level protection, and to effectively integrate the four-aspect mission of protection, development, culture preservation and governance in the region.

Efforts are needed in such work as litigation-source governance and corporate compliance to meet the requirements of comprehensive, systematic and source governance as stipulated in the law, Zhang said. It is imperative to promote collaborative governance, fully leverage the role of the judicial cooperation mechanism of the region, and to strengthen cooperation with public security, procuratorial, and law enforcement departments, he added.

While underlining the importance of reform and innovation, he called for deepening innovation in the adjudication philosophy of environment-related cases, and strengthening institutional reforms and team building.

Wang Xingning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shaanxi Provincial Committee and secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, addresses the meeting.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Water Resources, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism deliver keynote speeches at the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

President of the Shaanxi High People's Court Han Deyang, President of the Qinghai High People's Court Zhang Zejun, and President of the Shanxi High People's Court Feng Jun make presentations on their courts' work at the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Deputies to the National People's Congress Ma Huiling, Fang Lan and Zhu Xiaoli, alongside Gao Jie, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, give suggestions on the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin at the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Fan Weibin, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Shaanxi Province and secretary of the Communist Party of China Weinan Municipal Committee, attends the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Officials from relevant departments of the central and State organs, the Supreme People's Court, and the courts of the nine provinces and autonomous regions along the Yellow River, as well as those from Shaanxi province, Weinan city, and media outlets attend the meeting. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Since the implementation of the Yellow River Protection Law, people's courts in the nine provinces and autonomous regions along the Yellow River have actively fulfilled their duties in accordance with the law, concluding 74,000 first-instance cases related to environment and resources and actively serving the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin.