China is speeding up construction of a system for environmental management to handle emergent environmental incidents, an official said on Tuesday.

It was revealed by Zhang Lijun, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, when he addressed a meeting on the ministry's priorities in the upcoming year.

In the year of 2010, environmental protection authorities at all levels should focus on the handling of mass disturbances triggered by environmental pollution such as water and soil pollution, and reduce the harm that pollution bring to people as much as possible.

The environmental protection authorities will also conduct a two-year nationwide campaign to investigate all pollution source threats, which will gradually form a dinamic environmental management system, according to Zhang.

Finally, the authorities will strengthen monitor and surveillance on environmental security in Shanghai and Guangzhou to ensure that China could hold a clean World Expo and Asian Games in 2010.

(Xinhua News Agency, December 30, 2009)