China launches environmental investigation in pollution-prone Hebei

Province produces 25 per cent of nation’s steel and is responsible for much of the smog drifting over Beijing

Audit began in Baoding and Langfang and will be extended to other cities next month, environment ministry publication says

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The north China province of Hebei is the subject of a new government audit to ensure officials there are not dodging national efforts to fight pollution. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:52pm, 11 Oct 2019Updated: 11:02pm, 11 Oct 2019

China has begun a new round of audits into environmental compliance in the industrial province of Hebei that surrounds Beijing, as it looks to ensure officials are not dodging efforts to combat pollution, according to an official report published on Friday.

After the central government carried out nationwide audits in 2015 many local authorities were accused of turning a blind eye to pollution to guarantee growth and employment.

Hebei, which produces a quarter of China’s steel and is responsible for much of the smog drifting over the capital, was the test site for the first investigation.

Teams of inspectors led by former government ministers and other retired senior politicians were sent to each region and given the authority to inspect any site without prior warning and summon any official for formal interviews.

Nationally, about 130,000 violations and failures of governance were investigated, leading to 1.43 billion yuan (US$201 million) in fines.

The latest audit in Hebei began on Thursday in Baoding and Langfang and will be extended to other cities, including Shijiazhuang and Handan, in mid-November, according to China Environmental News, an environment ministry publication.

Inspectors would also look at how officials in non-environmental roles carried out their environmental responsibilities, the report said.