Marking the 10th anniversary of a symposium presided over by President Xi Jinping, officials highlighted the Yangtze River Economic Belt's balanced progress in economic growth and ecological protection. Water quality has improved dramatically, with the GDP more than doubling since 2016.
January 5, 2026, marks the 10th anniversary of the symposium on promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, presided over by President Xi Jinping in Chongqing. At a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office, Wang Changlin, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated that over the past decade, the belt has achieved sustained economic growth and strengthened ecological protection.
The proportion of river sections with fairly good or better water quality rose from 67 percent in 2015 to 96.5 percent last year, while the region's GDP more than doubled in the same period. The belt's share of the national economy increased from 42.2 percent to 47.3 percent. Wang noted that the Yangtze River Economic Belt covers nine of the 11 provincial-level regions through which the river flows, plus Zhejiang and Guizhou provinces with its tributaries.
In the 2016 meeting, President Xi stressed that the Yangtze boasts a unique ecosystem, and restoring its ecology and environment would be an overwhelming task, with no large-scale development allowed along the river at present or for a long period to come. Over the past decade, as the principle of prioritizing environmental protection and avoiding excessive development has taken root, the river's ecological features have become more pronounced.
Wang said black and odorous water bodies in prefecture-level cities along the Yangtze have been essentially eliminated, and the mainstream has transformed from having Grade V sections to maintaining Grade II standards throughout. Jiang Kaiyong, director of the Yangtze basin fishery supervision and administration office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said biodiversity conservation has made notable progress since the 10-year fishing ban took effect on January 1, 2021. Monitoring from 2021 to 2024 recorded 344 indigenous fish species in the basin, an increase of 36 species compared with before the ban.
Challenges remain, however: 99 historically recorded fish species have yet to be detected, and flagship species like the Chinese sturgeon remain critically endangered, with illegal fishing occurring occasionally. Jiang said the ministry will continue working with other departments and local authorities to strengthen joint law enforcement and improve conservation capacity.
"We will unwaveringly enforce the 10-year fishing ban, leveraging stronger aquatic conservation to support the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt," he said.