Chinese City To Public: Comments Welcomed

8 December 2007 - 9:00am

In response to the outcry over a proposed chemical factory, the City of Xiamen has published an environmental impact report and is seeking public input on the project -- something rarely seen in China.

With a rare invitation for public comment, the picturesque seaside city of Xiamen has released an environmental impact report for a planned chemical plant that has sparked passionate opposition and large-scale protests.

The report, posted online Wednesday, had generated more than 1,500 comments by Thursday on the official Web site for Xiamen, a city in the southeastern province of Fujian where demonstrations against the project drew national attention in June.

More than 10,000 people, and as many as 20,000, participated in mostly peaceful protests coordinated via cellphone and the Internet, compelling Communist Party bureaucrats to take a rare second look at their plans.

'I don't want to hand in my taxes to those who can't guarantee our health,' one person wrote online."

Full Story: Chinese City Asks Public's Input on Proposed Factory

Source: The Washington Post, December 7, 2007