"I would like to do my utmost as an ordinary Japanese to contribute to China's environmental protection cause," said Tadashi Yasuhara when meeting with Liu Changgui, vice governor of Guizhou Province, here Thursday.

   The former Japanese vice-minister of environment is leading a group from the Japanese Environment Information Center who are studying the environment in Guizhou and Gansu provinces.

   The group will provide policy advice to the Japanese government  on issuing interest-free loans to aid the development of China's western region.

   Liu told the Japanese guests that as a province in west China, Guizhou has much to do in curbing environmental pollution and ecological protection, which need huge funding and wide international cooperation.

   He affirmed that the urban environment demonstration project which is aided by the Japanese government is going smoothly in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou. The project will substantially help improve the air quality in Guiyang.

   The delegation is on a three-day visit to the city, investigating pollution treatment methods in a number of
industrial plants.