China has become one of the fast economic growing countries in the world, but at the same time, rapid industrialization has substantially increased pollution: water loss and soil erosion along the Yangtze River and Yellow River, land becoming desert in northern China, acid rain in southern China, gray and cloudy sky in the industrial city, dead water without living things. To pursue high speed increase of GDP, economy is often developed at the cost of environment destroy. Forests are cut down for economy and illegal factories are permitted for local development.

Industrial pollution, water pollution, air pollution and other kinds of pollution do harm to the farm, the living environment and people’s health. Excessive fertilizer use, dirty water and solid waste are among the main pollutants that damage the farms. According to the Ministry of Health, pollution has made cancer China's leading cause of death.

The government has taken actions to reduce emissions and conserve energy. Export subsidies for polluting industries have been cancelled. Different campaigns have been started to close illegal coal mines and some heavily polluting factories. Clean energy sources like solar and wind powers have been developed. Environmental regulation in Beijing, Shanghai and other leading cities has been tightened ahead of the 2008 Olympics.