China says environment 1st priority

BEIJING: Allaying India's fears that the metalled highway to the heart of Himalayas will result in ecological damage, China on Wednesday said it will "strictly monitor" the number of tourists treading that road.

"We want to develop tourism and environment both. But when we have to chose between the two, environment will be our first priority," Chairman of National Tourism Administration, Shao Qiwei, told a group of visiting Indian journalists.

Brushing aside allegations that China cared a little about environment when it comes to implementing state interests, Shao argued environment itself was important to attract tourism in China.

"If we do not protect our environment, we cannot expect to attract tourists here." Shao argued the state does not have to really make big efforts to prevent an apprehended tourist overflow.

"The very climate of the Himalayas is such that not many tourists will be fit enough to reach that distance," he said.

"This we have discovered when we built Quinghai-Lhasa high altitude train. Many people got breathless when they reached that height in the train. Mount Qomolangma (Everest) is much higher than that," he said.

"Moreover we have very strict environmental laws, we will strictly monitor the number of people wanting to travel on that road," Shao said, adding violators will be penalised.

Environmentalists in India and elsewhere have protested China's move to convert 110 kilometre long sand-and-gravel path into a "black-topped, metalled road, lined with guardrails" for athletes to take the Olympic torch to the summit.