Smog documentary on China's pollution wrong to blame oil, say industry bosses
Petroleum bosses defend their record, saying documentary misleads viewers by faulting cars, not coal, for the worsening problem
Petrochemical industry insiders have disputed claims made in Under the Dome, Chai Jing's documentary on smog in China, that lax quality standards for petroleum were a key reason for worsening air pollution.
The investigation by Chai, a former state television presenter, also claimed interference by China's major oil companies was another factor.
Cao Xianghong, head of the China Petroleum Industrial Standardisation Committee, said on the sidelines of the the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference yesterday that the country had steadily been improving the quality of its petrol and diesel since 2000.
"It's wrong to say China's petroleum quality upgrading is too slow," said Cao, who rejected the conclusion that the standards committee was dominated and heavily influenced by major oil companies, as suggested in Chai's documentary.
A standard could only be approved if it gained support from three quarters of members from a voting group of about 50 experts, Cao said. Fifty-one per cent of the experts were from the petrochemical industry, while the remainder came from the motor industry, environmental protection department, military and other government agencies, Cao said. Cao is a former vice-president of oil giant China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation.
Watch: Trailer of Under the Dome