China’s smog battle losing ‘momentum’ in some regions, environment minister says
- Local officials should resist the idea that the country’s ‘war on pollution’ has undermined growth, according to Li Ganjie
Some regions in China have lost “momentum” when it comes to tackling pollution, with local officials blaming the country’s economic downturn on overzealous campaigns against smog, the environment minister said in remarks published on Monday.
Minister of Ecology and Environment Li Ganjie said while some impoverished regions were struggling to transform their old industrial economies, regional officials should firmly resist the notion that the “war on pollution” had undermined growth.
“As our country’s ecological protection efforts continuously increase in strength, some views in society hype up the impact of environmental protection on economic development, and we must clear-headedly and resolutely oppose this,” Li told environment ministry officials in a speech.
China’s gross domestic product grew 6.6 per cent in 2018, its lowest rate of increase since 1990, and Li’s speech reflects concern among senior Chinese officials that a deeper downturn could derail the country’s economic restructuring plans.
“Since the second half of last year, our country’s economic operations have seen changes, and in those changes there are concerns, with complications in the external environment and downward pressures getting more severe,” he said.
“The awareness of the importance of environmental protection has weakened in some regions, and momentum has slowed, with the economic downturn simplistically attributed to a vaguely understood idea of excessive environmental supervision.”