Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called for stricter measures to ensure officials responsible for pollution accidents are held to account, noting that environmental protection has still not received enough attention in some areas.

"Those who cause major pollution accidents through making wrong decisions or lax supervision must be severely punished," Wen said on April 17 at the sixth national environmental protection conference held in Beijing. The full transcript of the speech was published on Sunday.

The official accountability system has already led to the sacking of government officials after environmental incidents, including former environmental chief Xie Zhenhua after the Songhua River accident last November.

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