The environmental watchdog has taken three cities, one county and one industrial zone off its blacklist after they passed environmental reassessment.

The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) said in a notice yesterday that the five areas had met the "essential requirements" of environmental protection after "earnest overhaul".

Pan Yue, vice-minister of the SEPA, said the administration will "constantly conduct on-the-spot checks to see whether the companies have lived up to their word on environmental protection and to guard against a rebound".