"As the code comes into force, we have clearer guidance and a more focused approach when handling cases related to ecological, environmental and resource protection," said Xu Xufen, a judge at the Intermediate People"s Court of Huzhou City in east China"s Zhejiang Province.

　　This is because the code establishes a systematic, comprehensive and clearly structured set of legal values, which provide fundamental guidance for adjudication, Xu said.

　　China"s ecological protection legislation has made continued progress in recent years, forming a wide-ranging, detailed and practical legal framework. However, analysts note that some obstacles remain, including fragmentation among different laws and regulations.

　　The code can help resolve legal conflicts and fill gaps, making the country"s ecological and environmental legal system more integrated and coordinated, and better able to keep pace with the times, said Yu Wenxuan, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law.

　　The strengthened legal framework comes alongside years of efforts that have produced key environmental gains. Some innovative explorations include the river, lake and forest chief systems, as well as central environmental protection inspections, which have all been included into the code.

　　Such efforts have led to major changes in China"s ecological protection, with key indicators continuing to improve. In 2025, the average PM2.5 concentration in major Chinese cities fell to 28 micrograms per cubic meter, while the proportion of days with good air quality reached 89.3 percent, both the best levels since monitoring began. China has become one of the countries with the fastest improvement in air quality in the world.