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05/17/2024 04:10:10 am

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Local Officials Defy Beijing Anti-Pollution Campaign for Higher Economy

Local Officials Defy Beijing Anti-Pollution Campaign For Higher Economic Growth

(Photo : Reuters) Local officials are focusing more on increasing their economic growth at the expense of the environment

China local governments have been found to pursue a higher economic growth at the expense of the environment.

In a bid to improve economies, local officials are ignoring Beijing's anti-pollution campaign and are even contributing to the smog by expanding heavy industries and cutting clean energy, a Chinese parliamentary report said.

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The Chinese parliament has sent a team of inspectors to 10 cities and provinces from May to September to oversee the implementation of new anti-pollution policies.

The report said some local officials continued to defy Beijing's call to cut hazardous air pollution in its efforts to raise GDP growth.

" Some local governments have not fulfilled their responsibilities to improve air quality," the report said. "In some  locations, enforcement is not stringent or no punishment is imposed on violators."

Although the capital  is still suffering from heavy smog, hundreds of industrial plants and facilities have been shut down for a cleaner air at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held  next week in Beijing.

China has issued several policy directives in the implementation of the campaign since Premier Li Keqiang declared war on pollution this year.

China said it will vow to eliminate the growth-at-all costs economic model and push for the businesses to pay more attention to the industries' impact on the environment.

The report said a slowdown on  GDP growth is putting more pressure on Communist Party officials.

"Local governments are suffering from a loss of jobs and taxation and to some extent they want to keep industries running, so there is a mixed response," said Tao Wang, a climate expert.

Premier Li Keqiang had declared a war on pollution, saying that there will be no "sacred cows" in the implementation of the campaign. He said people from all levels will be held accountable if found violating the series of policies issued since last year.

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