China plans to curb soil pollution by 2020 and to bring environmental risks under control by 2030. In our view, several issues must be addressed for these goals to be realized. Meanwhile, a long-awaited law to prevent soil pollution should be enacted urgently.

The ongoing clean-up requires more funding from local and central government. Polluters should also contribute to remediation costs so that the authorities can decontaminate polluted soil without further liability. Treatment of industrial sites in inland areas should not be overlooked in favour of megacities in eastern China that have a greater potential for property development.

The administration and supervision of operations needs to be streamlined. Although 36 government departments are involved in soil-pollution control, their respective responsibilities are still not fully defined or coordinated. Standardized regulations must be drawn up to aid communication among stakeholders.

Soil and hydrogeological conditions vary enormously across China, calling for a range of different technologies and skills. International expertise and cooperation could help to address the scientific issues and develop efficient clean-up technologies.