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development?
Since Chinas reform and opening up in 1978, Chinas industrialization process has
always been at the expense of the economy as with all industrialized economy, an
inevitable process. While measures have been undertaken to ameliorate the
imbalances in Chinas socio-economic development, these have fallen short of their
desired outcomes. Hence, this essay seeks to argue that chinas socio-economic
development is still deeply uneven given the CCPs priorities to sustain high growth
and the countrys inherent regional differences.
At the central and local levels, authorities have to play an active part in enforcing
environmental control so as to ensure balance socioeconomic development. Much of
the environmental issues have their roots at the provincial level, therefore it is
essential that the local leaders check and control the problems before they escalate
further. SEPA has the power to impose sanctions on provinces or cities where no
significant improvement is made on the environment. SEPA can also postpone plans
for chemical plans to be set up in the blacklisted areas until the pollution problems
are rectified. This is to ensure local authorities do their part in maintain
environmental protection. In the light of the 2008 Olympics, the CCP had a mass
clean up of Beijing, boosting its positive image to usher in the prestigious event.
However, given the vast number of local authorities to be checked, SEPAs hands
are tied in monitoring the situation in each and every city. The 2005 Songhua River
chemical spill incident reflected Jilins officials unwillingness in providing full
cooperation. The officials even tried covering up for their mistakes until the Chinese
media unraveled more challenging evidence to prove negligence at the local levels.
Therefore, it is essential for local authorities to conduct themselves responsibly to
ensure that pollution in China does not go out of hand.
However, given the incentives of economic growth, environmental controls are often
ignored and abused the authorities who are not willing to sacrifice for the
environment, resulting in unbalance socioeconomic development. Many of the party
cadres are prompted for their economic contribution to the country. Local leaders
view high growth rates as very good platforms for promotion and this is far more
important than protecting the environment. Compared to the welfare of the
environment, the local officials are more concerned with their career prospects,
which could seriously undermine the efforts to curb pollution at the local levels.
Besides, the authorities are not the recipients of the backlashes of pollution, as
many of the richer officials have moved away to cleaner parts of the provinces. This
is most evident in the case of Shanxi, where many villagers who are unable to
resettle to the cleaner parts of the province had to bear the consequences of air
pollution. Hence, the lure of political advancement at the local levels has actually
outweighed the advantages of maintaining a cleaner environment in China,
resulting in unethical practices to be condoned.
Vast amount of resources are also devoted into research and development of green
technology so as to achieve balance socioeconomic development. Bold initiatives
are made by the government and public businesses to harness wind and solar
power for industrial and home usage. Pacts signed with countries like Singapore to
build eco-cities and ecologically-friendly industrial parks. China is the worlds largest