Guizhou Provincial Environment Department has signed a responsibility letter with about 25 alcohol companies near the original manufacturing place of the Chinese liquor Maotai on major pollutant control during the 11th Five-Year Period in order to further ease the ecological pressure faced during Maotai manufacturing.

The Responsibility Letter generalizes the goal of major pollutant controls, the detailed measures to be taken and the construction of pollution control projects. It asks that main pollutants like sulfur dioxide must be cut by 10% before 2010 and companies that can't finish the task in emission control will be asked to reduce or even halt their production.

Yang Ying, vice mayor of Renhuai City in Guizhou Province, says that that in order to protect the ecological environment of the Maotai producing area, the environment department will strictly control the approval on serious polluting enterprises to accelerate pollution control in such industries as coal, wine brewing, cement and paper-making.

According Lei Hongming, deputy director of Renhuai Municipal Environment Department, the perfect combination of unique techniques, natural environment, climate condition and microorganism species has nurtured the famous Maotai liquor in China and this special feature also determines that Maotai can't be produced in other places. This is why Maotai has been listed as a protected sector in need of good sustainable business practices.