BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- China said on Tuesday that it will support its Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in developing a pilot zone for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.

The State Council, China's cabinet, issued a statement urging efforts to take water into account when managing the city, land, people and production, while unswervingly following the path of green and low-carbon development.

Hard work is required to address environmental problems, conserve and control water, and protect and restore ecosystems, with solid progress made in protecting the Yellow River, according to the statement.

Last year, Chinese authorities issued a plan to improve the conservation and utilization of water resources in the Yellow River basin, as part of the country's efforts to advance ecological protection and the high-quality development of the region.

By 2025, water consumption per 10,000 yuan (about 1,570 U.S. dollars) of GDP in the Yellow River basin should be capped below 47 cubic meters, down 16 percent from the 2020 level, according to the plan.