A team of non-Communist Party of China (CPC) members from the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) visited Northeast China's Heilongjiang province from Aug 18 to 22 to survey local work on coordinating water resources and ecosystems and advancing river and lake governance and protection. The survey was led by Wang Guangqian, vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.

The team surveyed rivers, lakes, wetlands, reservoirs, irrigation areas, and key water conservancy projects in the cities of Mudanjiang, Jixi, Shuangyashan and Jiamusi. They also held symposiums with local officials and engaged in in-depth exchanges with experts and grassroots workers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the province's river and lake management practices.

The team noted that Heilongjiang has in recent years made steady progress in tackling water-related disasters, conserving water resources, improving water ecology and environment, and promoting water culture. The river-chief system and related river and lake protection initiatives have yielded notable results, they added.

The team stressed the vital role of safeguarding rivers and lakes in ensuring national water security, promoting ecological progress, and supporting high-quality economic and social development. They called for the CPPCC to give full play to its role as a specialized consultative body by conducting thorough investigations, offering constructive proposals, and building consensus. Such efforts, they said, would contribute to the integrated advancement of development and ecological protection and to the governance of major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.