China should apply stricter standards in keeping potential polluters away from the Yangtze River, said Chen Qinghua, a member of the 11th National Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

A monthly report on the country’s surface water quality showed the Yangtze was slightly polluted in December 2008 while its branches recorded medium-level pollution, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

There is a high concentration of heavily polluting industries along the Yangtze. Nearly 10,000 of the 21,000 chemical companies in China are situated along the 6,300 km-long river, according to Chen. More than 20 chemical industry parks are under construction.

Local governments have built more than 40,000 reservoirs along the river and its branches in a bid for water resources, which has further degraded the Yangtze’s ecological system, he said.

"We should take the opportunity to improve sewage treatment facilities in cities, and move faster to readjust industrial layout and structure along the river,” concluded Chen.