BEIJING -- Communist Party of China (CPC) chief of southwest China's Yunnan province Qin Guangrong said Thursday that no hydropower development projects have been launched on the Nujiang River, denying speculation that the river may be dammed.

"We won't start any hydropower development projects on Nujiang River before we have state approval and pass an environmental impact assessment," Qin said when asked about the projects by overseas media at a panel discussion held on the sidelines of the Chinese parliament's ongoing annual session.

The government has shelved plans to build hydropower projects on the river over environmental concerns.

Public input is being given more weight in terms of approving new hydropower projects in accordance with a document issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Administration and the Ministry of Environmental Protection in December 2011.