On January 30, 2011, after the State Council issued its first document of the year, Chen Lei, the Minister of Water Resources, held a press conference where he announced, "China has an annual water shortage of 40 billion cubic meters. Two-thirds of its cities suffer from a shortage of water." Chen said that the No. 1 Document sets targets to improve China’s plan to conserve water over the next five to 10 years. According to the No. 1 Document, China will intensify its efforts to accelerate the development of the nation’s water conservation and promote the sustainable use of water resources.
Source: Xinhua, January 30, 2011.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2011-01/30/c_121040588.htm