Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Environmental Protection jointly issued Guideline on Environmental Protection in Investment and Cooperation Overseas recently (hereinafter referred as the Guideline on Environmental Protection). The Guideline is formulated by MOFCOM and MEP on the basis of international experience and concept and with combination of China's national conditions, aiming at guiding Chinese enterprises to further standardize environmental protection in foreign invest? and cooperation, timely realize and prevent environmental risks, actively fulfill their social responsibility for environmental protection, establish a good external image for Chinese enterprises, and to support the sustainable development of the host country.

Guideline on Environmental Protection regulates and guides enterprises in their investment overseas to protect environment mainly in three aspects: Firstly, enterprises overseas are advocated to establish the concept of environmental protection and required to fulfill the social responsibility for environmental protection, respect religion and customs for the host country, protect the legitimate rights and interests of labor, and to realize “win-win” of their own profitability and environmental protection. Secondly, enterprises overseas are required to abide by the environmental protection laws and regulations of the host country and their investment and cooperation projects. Enterprises overseas should fulfill their obligations in environmental impact assessment, discharge standards, and emergency management of environmental protection. Thirdly, enterprises overseas are encouraged study and learn from environmental principles, standards and practices of international organizations and multilateral financial institutions.

The Guideline on Environmental Protection is of important significance in guiding Chinese enterprises investing overseas to do well environmental protection as well as building a harmonious world, and is conduciveto creating a favorable external environment for Chinese enterprises to “going out” and achieving sustainable development of foreign investment and cooperation, and is benefit for Chinese enterprises to better and faster integrate into the local community so as to achieve mutual benefit, win-win and common development.

Since the implementation of strategy of “going global”, Chinese enterprises accelerate their pace in investing overseas. More Chinese enterprises with large scale investing in broad fields make contributions to the development of economy and society of China and the host country. Till the end of 2011, there were more than 18,000 Chinese enterprises investing overseas in 177 countries and regions around the world with FDI stock of US$424.78 billion and total assets of nearly US$ 2 trillion.

Chinese enterprises investing overseas generally attach importance to environmental protection, conscientiously abide by the laws and regulations of the host country, and actively fulfill their social responsibilities; however, some enterprises are lack of experience in doing well environmental protection and guidanceprovided by governmental department is needed. Guidance on Environmental Protection is a concrete manifestation of relevant government departments implementing the concept of“management contained in service”, building service system for foreign investment and cooperation and strengthening guideline on environmental protection in foreign investment and cooperation.

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