BEIJING - China will work to shore up weak links in garbage sorting and sewage treatment in urban areas, authorities said.

By 2023, qualified cities at or above the prefecture level should set up garbage sorting systems, according to a work plan jointly issued by departments including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The country's garbage treatment capacity through incineration should be substantially upgraded by 2023, the document said, adding that garbage sorting and disposal facilities are important urban infrastructure.

The capacity of sewage treatment in cities at or above the county level should also be greatly upgraded by 2023 and the utilization of sewage resources in water-deficient areas should see marked improvement, the two departments said in another plan.