First, I will explain the major problem of environmental pollution in China that lies behind China's rapid economic growth. Since China's reform and openness policy began, China has achieved the greatest economic growth in history. On the other hand, there has also been an explosion of environmental problems, such as air , water and soil pollution, desertification, droughts and floods, destruction of biodiversity, problems with waste disposal, food safety, and dam construction, and increased incidence of cancers and pollution-triggered diseases. In terms of air pollution, there have been days when the concentration of PM2.5 exceeds 500 and people could be seen commuting in gas masks.

As environmental pollution has become increasingly serious, we are witnessing the development of NGOs with an en vironmental awareness that are taking action to remediate and solve those problems. Whereas in 1988, China had only several thousand NGOs, today, there are some 700,000 such organizations, 6,689 of which are working in the environmental field.

The primary activity of environmental NGOs is the disclosure of information. A prominent example of this is the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE). This group publishes maps of water and air pollution on the internet. It works with companies to build green supply chains, develops apps, and publishes the processes and outcomes of governance. In this way, it has kept the public informed about the government’s and companies’ environmental information and about local pollution sources.

Green Earth Volunteers, which conducts river source surveys and dam opposition campaigns, and Huaihe River Eco-Environmental Science Research Center, which works with villagers to protect rice paddies, are just two of the many NGOs that are engaged in environmental campaigns such as forest plantation projects, public-interest environmental lawsuits, disaster relief, waste countermeasures, and wildlife protection. China’s NGOs realize that they have much to learn from Japan, and consider Japan-China environmental exchange as one of their strategies for environmental protection activities. I, personally, have brought Chinese NGOs and media agencies to Minamata and I have spread the word about Japan’s NPO activities to the people of China through my books and other publications.

In 2015, the Environmental Protection Act came into effect. As China enters a new phase in its environmental problems, we can expect to see the growing gravity and complexity of environmental problems, the development of legal systems, greater coordination between central and regional government policies, and the invigoration of civic and corporate participation in environmental issues. Demands will also be placed on China’s NGOs to build platforms and networks, become more specialized, and to coordinate with government. Japan-China cooperation will meet new challenges as the demand emerges for the relationship to transform from financial aid to cooperation and collaboration, from nation-based to community-based, from project-based to issue-based, and from government- led to private sector-led. I believe, however, that this will present an excellent opportunity for our citizens to cooperate with each other.