China Halts Ningbo Petrochemical Plant Expansion

摘要

Beijing, China: China has shelved its plans to expand a petrochemical plant in Ningbo, a coastal city of the country, following protests from the public.The halted plant, worth USD 8.8 billion, is part of Sinopec's petrochemical plant expansion in the region, which is a Chinese public sector company. Ningbo's citizens had strongly protested-regarding production of paraxylene, a potentially toxic chemical used in plastics and paints. The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs director Ma Jun was quoted by United Press International as saying that leaders in China were listening to the public. "We can't resolve all our environmental issues through street action," Jun added.? "Ignoring public concerns leads to confrontation."