China sends inspectors - including graft-busters - to pollution hub of Hebei province

China’s cabinet, the State Council, has sent an inspection team that includes graft-busters to Hebei (河北) province in an effort to solve its worsening pollution.

The team’s month-long review of the province’s implementation of green policies is said to be modelled on the anti-corruption campaign waged by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The CCDI has sent inspection teams to various agencies and state firms.

READ MORE - Chinese green squads to monitor war on smog in polluted cities

The State Council’s team is led by retired deputy environment minister Zhou Jian and serving deputy minister Zhai Qing. It includes members from the CCDI and the Central Organisation Department, which oversees personnel appointments, reported China Environment News.

The team is seeking evidence of environmental violations and corruption and its findings will affect the performance appraisals of local officials.

The move by the State Council breaks from tradition, as inspection teams usually operate under the environment ministry. However, local governments and companies find it easy to get around the ministry’s inspections, according to Hu Xingdou, a professor at Beijing Institute of Technology. Hu said a common trick was to turn on pollution treatment facilities when inspectors arrived, and turn them off when they left.