Clearing the air

HKSAR government has learnt a lot from the mainland about how not to accept responsibility in the last nine years. Pretty soon you will find that HKSAR will become even better than other Chinese governments in their techniques - deny, confuse, accuse, side track, ignore,...

I believe Western especially US should pay a premium to help reduce pollution during production of daily items they import from China.

Yoffie, I consider the joint venture companies in China already pay the premiums through plant and equipment building, and product and amortized tooling costs as well as the salaries of the employees whose are much higher than most other people there. For the company I am with, there is less 10% difference in price between made in China and the US, averagely $5.00 savings per part. We can’t keep up with rising costs for the parts made in China. Sooner or later, we will pull out and stay with amigos.

This is also a problem it happens more often than not, when doing business in a society which is the lack of the law and regulations. A lot of time we don’t know where our money goes for.

I suppose the metals and bacteria laced sandstorms the come from CHina and hit SK, Japan and Taiwan are not really China's fault either.

Bad, dirty China.

actually, Austin, your first sentence should mention that the blame has been put on HONG KONG businessmen who do business in China and run dirty generators to conduct that business.

So, it's not like it hasn't been Hong Kong to blame and is now. It always has, and now the pressure is apparently off the Hong Kong businessmen/manufacturers in China.

Who financed the study?

If ever China believe in rule of law, China can enact environmental laws that ensures any business to be liable for keeping the environment clean, and have organizations to ensure that the law is complied with, and charge the businesses for the cost of the enforcement, through business licensing. Chinese government should also sue people on the board of directors personally for any violation of environmental laws.

However, with the rampant corruption, government officials enforcing any law can be easily bought. These officials are also not threatened by any disclosure by the people, as these officials can easily beat them up for speaking out. It is a perfect solution to any environmental legislation. Furthermore, the Chinese won't want to have any law that will increase the cost of production of goods, afraid that will reduce the competitiveness of Chinese products. Chinese rather have money than a clean environment.

This is an interesting dilemma for Chinese, but, not seeing any reasonable step taken to fix the problem, I guess they like the current situation. Who are we to say they are wrong ? We must not interfere with Chinese internal affairs, even if these affairs will kill them.

I sense some arrogance in the comments. A wise China observer once advised a healthy dose of historical perspective in viewing China. It certainly applies here.

Environmental awareness has been an evolving thing in the West as well. I don't think air pollution was a primary concern a century or so ago to the coal mine operators in, say, West Virginia. When the choice is poverty or pollution, it is a matter of priorities.

John's comment of Chinese rather having money than a clean environment sounds a little unfair. It is people like zzyzx, who is presumably from the U.S., (and whose real quarrel seems to be not being able to squeeze more out of the Chinese), and mostly local Chinese businesses, who are responsible for the pollution, not the Chinese people in general.

The Chinese government, especially the local governments, should do more to address the issue. But besides the corruption, they will inevitably face threats from people like zzyzx to take their businesses somewhere else. I am not necessarily blaming zzyxx's employer for the pollution. But there is sometimes hypocricy in issues like this.

Anonymous: My comment that China want money more than clean environment is right on the money.

The western world stumbled in to environmental problems when industrial revolution started in the 17th century. They did not know at that time it would be such a disaster. China started nation wide industrialization in late 1970's, when the whole world knows that what a disaster it would be. China decided the way they want to industrialize with their eyes wide open, and the choose their own way to do so. I am of the opinion that the Chinese government knows what they are doing, and is a very effective government in carrying out it's own plans and wishes. Therefore, whatever resulted is what they intended. Therefore, China actually wanted the situation it is in right now. This is quite different from the stumbling of the wester world.

hk would rather earn more money then rather caring for air pollution