BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhuanet) -- China's investment in environmental protection is expected to reach 1,300 billion yuan during the 11th Five-Year (2006-2010) plan period in line with the country's rapid economic growth, an official at the State Environmental ProtectionAdministration said here on Tuesday.

    The investment will account for 1.4 to 1.5 percent of China's GDP, said Chen Bin, deputy director of the administration's financial department, during an international seminar on investingin and financing for environmental protection in China, which opened here on Tuesday.

    Chen said the Chinese government pays great attention to environmental protection and lists the issue a top priority. The country's investment in the sector stood at 47.6 billion yuan during the seventh Five-Year (1986-1990) plan period and is expected to exceed 700 billion yuan during the tenth Five-Year plan (2001-2005) period, he added.

    In the year 2003, China's investment in environmental protection accounted for 1.39 percent of the GDP, according to Chen.

    Wang Yuqing, deputy director of the administration, also said atthe seminar that in the coming five years.the government will focus efforts on ensuring the safety of drinking water for urban and rural citizens, combating the pollution of key rivers and lakes, controlling air pollution in big cities and ameliorate soil pollution.

    The one-day seminar was jointly sponsored by the China Environmental Protection Foundation, the United Nations Development Program and the China International