https://www.scmp.com/rss/305021/feed On May 16, 2013, hundreds of people took to the streets in Kunming to protest against the construction of a petrochemical plant near the Yunnan provincial capital, which they say could pollute the city's water supply and air. Protesters confronted the city's mayor Li Wenrong, who promised to hold meetings to debate the project. Officials had already pledged to have a public debate after residents held a first rally against the project on May 4. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Growing up in Hong Kong, Zara Campion and Emily Tarr loved going dragon boating with their parents. They weren’t especially good at the rowing part, but while their parents raced on the water the girls would soak up the sun ashore. The classmates eventually joined dragon boat teams as they got older, and with the outdoor sport came a love for nature, but also an awareness of how vulnerable it is. “We saw trash everywhere – we’d see it all out on the water and it was really gross to have plastic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2188417/hong-kong-students-plan-school-boycott-protest-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2188417/hong-kong-students-plan-school-boycott-protest-against?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2019 12:08:39 +0000 Kunming authorities have been put on high alert to thwart a third demonstration against a petrol refinery and maintain social stability in the run-up to the China-South Asia Expo. However, the Yunnan provincial capital's government also finds itself in a dilemma as it tries to put on a more liberal face in heeding public opinion. But this is not a decision that mayor Li can make. It is the provincial government that desperately wants to kick off this project. Residents are planning a third... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1247700/kunming-activists-told-call-protest-during-china-south-asia-expo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1247700/kunming-activists-told-call-protest-during-china-south-asia-expo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Kunming has banned bulk-buying of face masks and the sale of white T-shirts and has regulated photocopying in an effort to avoid another public protest after two demonstrations against a petrochemical plant had embarrassed the city's government. The Yunnan provincial capital has also required those buying face masks to show personal identification. After news of that rule emerged on microblogs, Anning, a city under the administration of Kunming, apologised and cancelled the requirement. Many... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1247205/kunming-restricts-face-mask-and-t-shirt-sales-prevent-more-environmental?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1247205/kunming-restricts-face-mask-and-t-shirt-sales-prevent-more-environmental?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 May 2013 02:47:38 +0000 Growth-obsessed local governments have become more sophisticated at handling rising environmental protests on the mainland, as recent cases against controversial chemical projects in southwestern cities Kunming and Chengdu show. After two street protests in Kunming this month against a controversial petroleum refinery and a related chemical plant producing paraxylene - a suspected carcinogen - residents in the Yunnan provincial capital have yet to call it a victory, as a double-faced Kunming... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1241474/governments-toughen-their-stance-towards-environmental-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1241474/governments-toughen-their-stance-towards-environmental-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The mayor of Kunming, Li Wenrong, has posted his first message on a Sina Weibo microblog in a move aimed at showing government transparency in the Yunnan provincial capital. Li had promised to open the account on Thursday, when he met with hundreds of protesters on Kunming's streets. The angry crowd had ignored official intimidation to voice their opposition against a petrochemical project on the city's outskirts. "I want to listen to your views on the construction and development of Kunming,"... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1239636/kunming-mayor-stays-true-his-promise-and-opens-microblog-account?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1239636/kunming-mayor-stays-true-his-promise-and-opens-microblog-account?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 May 2013 02:47:08 +0000