The year-long peaceful protest by the people of Xiamen’s against a new petrochemical plant gets Beijing to move the planned plant to another site. For most people in China, pollution is a serious danger whilst authorities remain favourable to new industrial installation.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Beijing “bows” to public protest and moves a new petrochemical plant slated for Xiamen (Fujian). In June 2007 residents mobilised en masse against the project fearing the possible consequences of toxins released into the environment by substances like p-Xylene used in the production of polyester and cloth.

Many residents even sent mobile phone text messages to environmental officials in Beijing, accusing the local government of not taking into account the plant’s environmental impact. Repeated attempts by officials failed to convince protesters that the plant would be safe.

Now the environment minister has approved the transfer of the 14-billion yuan project to Zhangzhou, a city some 50 kilometres west of the original site.

News about the decision was made public without any comment by the authorities or the company in charge of the project, Tenglong Aromatic Hydrocarbon Company.

What is certain is that Zhangzhou does not have the same kind of organised opposition that Xiamen does.

China’s rapid industrial development has made it the most polluted country in the world without reaching the same level of affluence as Western countries.

About 80 per cent of the population views air and water pollution as “the most serious danger’ the nation faces and recent studies indicate that pollution-related diseases and congenital defects are up.

For local authorities new industrial installation are instead a good idea because they create jobs and increase economic wealth.

• china
• protest
• pollution
• xiamen
• zhangzhou
• plant
• move
• tenglong