Everyone seems to be talking about cleaning up pollution in the Pearl River Delta, which raises an interesting question. Will environmental degradation extend beyond the immediate region, as industrialisation spreads farther to the north, west and east?
The answer isn't clear, but there is some good news: leaders in areas where industry is likely to move, from the delta region, vow to pursue a sustainable path of development.
As part of a press delegation that visited Guangzhou, Qingyuan and Huizhou this week, I heard a lot of positive remarks by senior officials about the need to protect the environment. One can only hope that they mean what they say, and will not follow the strategy of 'polluting first, cleaning up later'.
That strategy has inflicted serious damage to the environment in Shenzhen and Dongguan . Now, rising costs are forcing many to move to Qingyuan and Huizhou.
Located north of Guangzhou, Qingyuan city's jurisdiction covers 19,200 sq km, with a population of 3.93 million. Because of its considerable distance from Hong Kong, hilly terrain and poor transport links, it was largely untouched by industrialisation until recent years. But new roads have since shortened the travelling distance from Guangzhou to about one hour.
The area's hot springs, scenic lakes and fast-flowing rivers have made it a popular holiday destination for city dwellers to the south.
In courting industrialists, Qingyuan leaders have vowed to protect the area's tourism resources and maintain its name as 'Guangzhou's back garden'. They proudly cite examples of rejecting investment projects that failed to meet environmental-impact standards.