Blue skies return to Beijing but fug highlights concern over pollution
Print Edition
BEIJING residents woke up to blue skies and warm sunlight yesterday after battling smog for a week.
Yet the prolonged fug, which affected many parts of north and east China, once again highlighted the urgency of tackling environmental pollution.
Smog has been a major concern for the public since early 2013 after frequent bouts of such conditions forced elders and children indoors. The hope of solving it lies in economic restructuring and reducing energy consumption and emissions.
“The government should step up efforts to treat smog. Otherwise, there will be no improvement,” said Li Fangxian, a resident of Tianjin, which neighbors Beijing.
There is a consensus in China that the growth model, which features excessive energy consumption and environmental degradation, must be adjusted to promote sound and sustainable development.
At a symposium on Wednesday after a tour in smoggy Beijing, President Xi Jinping urged strengthened efforts to control smog. He said the priority was to limit PM2.5 by reducing dependence on coal, limiting emissions and adjusting industry structures.
In November, the Communist Party of China unveiled a package of comprehensive reform plans. Chinese citizens have high expectations for implementing the landmark blueprint in the new era.
“Reform is the biggest dividend for China and also the iron and steel industry,” said Ren Hao, chairman of Shandong Iron and Steel Group Co Ltd. That struggles in a sector that has been troubled by overcapacity and thin profits.
The company will earmark 450 million yuan (US$73 million), or a third of its total fixed assets investment, in 2014 for energy saving, said Ren, vowing to increase profits through market-oriented reforms.
As restructuring measures for “green development,” Hebei Province has announced it will slash capacities by 15 million tons for steel, 10 million tons for cement and will use 15 million fewer tons of coal this year.
Leading groups for comprehensive reform at provincial level have been established after a similar group was set up at central level headed by Xi.
The country’s top oil refiner, Sinopec, said in February that it would bring in social and private capital to jointly market and sell its oil products, the first opening up of the largely monopolized area.
Improving quality and efficiency is one of the top priorities among economic reforms. Most provinces have reined in growth targets this year while vowing to push forward reforms in the economy and other fields.
“Citizens should not only listen to what the government says, but more importantly they should see what it does and what real changes take place,” said Zhu Liangyu, a lawmaker.
There are many deep-seated social and economic problems in China, and it was not possible to resolve them in a short time, said Wang Zhongwu, a sociology professor at Shandong University. But “a good start is half way to success.”
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