The government of the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming will publish an environmental impact assessment for a refinery which has been subject to mass protests, reported Reuters, as it hopes to head off further unrest ahead of a trade fair.Â
An increasingly affluent urban population has begun to object to China’s policy of growth at all costs, which has fuelled the economy for three decades, with the environment emerging as a focus of concern and protests.
There have already been two large protests in Kunming against the production of paraxylene (PX), a petrochemical used in making polyester and plastic bottles, at the planned plant.Â
Organisers have taken to the internet to call for the next protest on June 6. The government of Yunnan’s provincial capital is concerned protests could overshadow the opening of the first China-South Asia Expo, which senior Chinese leaders are expected to attend.
Â
Â
