China's parliament ratified Thursday an international treaty on preserving the marine environment and preventing pollution on the high seas, state press said Thursday. The National People's Congress ratified the 1996 Convention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter at a session that ended here Thursday, Xinhua news agency said.
The protocol calls on contracting parties to protect and preserve the marine environment from all sources of pollution and take effective measures to prevent, reduce and eliminate pollution caused by the dumping or incineration of wastes or other matters at sea, the report said.
Following the ratification, China's parliament would amend existing laws and regulations in order to bring them in line with the convention, it said.
