Bai Keming, Party secretary of Hebei Province, has promised that every effort
will be made to keep the areas surrounding Beijing pollution-free
during next year's Olympics.
"During the 2008 Olympic Games, blue skies are a
requirement not only for Beijing, but also for the places around
it," Bai said yesterday in an exclusive interview with China
Daily at the ongoing annual session of the National People's
Congress.
"Right now, there is no specific plan, but to ensure the smooth
running of the Olympics some sacrifices have to be made," he
added.
Bai said that to ensure a "clean" Olympics, some temporary
measures will have to be introduced, such as halting the production
of those companies that are known to cause pollution.
One such measure that has already been taken is the relocation
of national steel manufacturer Beijing Shougang Group, which is
currently in the process of moving its operations from the capital
to the tiny island of Caofeidian, some 80 kilometers south of
Tangshan in Hebei Province.
Responding to concerns that the move was simply shifting the
pollution problem, Bai said the new company is a joint venture with
a local steel firm and that it would adhere to high environmental
protection standards.
"The new company is based on the concept of a modern circular
economy, and it will create much less pollution than it did in
Beijing," said Bai.
He said the operations of the new company would comply with
strict international standards, which require such measures as the
recycling of slag, the use of desalinated water in furnaces, and
the re-use of emitted gases for steel rolling.
"Even if we were not hosting the Olympics, we would still carry
out these policies to save energy and reduce pollution for the
long-term benefit and development of Hebei," Bai said.
Although Hebei failed to reach its target of cutting energy
consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by about 4
percent last year, it did manage to reduce the discharge of major
pollutants by almost 2 percent.
"We have already phased out several smaller companies that were
generating pollution and have gathered together a number of others
so that we can apply tighter controls," Bai said. "We are
determined to continue with our environmental protection
efforts."
Strong coastal province
With its prime geographical position, which includes 487
kilometers of Bohai Sea coastline, Hebei has huge economic
potential, something Bai was keen to highlight in October when he
set out his goal to turn it into a "strong economic and social
coastal province.”
He said that last year the province had a GDP of 1.16 trillion
yuan (US$150.05 billion), placing it sixth on the nationwide
rankings.
"With such a strong foundation, we are seeking to create a well
rounded, successful society by 2015. We also plan to position Hebei
as a strong economic and social coastal province by the year 2020,"
Bai said.
"Besides achieving a high national GDP ranking, upgrading the
living standards of its people must be the primary goal of a strong
province," he said.
With GDP figures for the first two months of this year up
"considerably" year-on-year, Bai said he was confident that his
plan to develop the seaports was central to the economic success of
the province as a whole.
"It is essential that we concentrate on the development of the
coastal economic zone, because that will be our link to the world
economy. Once we have that we can look to develop areas inland and
stimulate further growth," said Bai.
Perhaps the most important project in the development of the
coastal zone is the Caofeidian industrial area, which has been
under construction since 2002.
Located along the western shore of the Bohai Bay, Caofeidian
boasts superb natural conditions for the construction and
development of a large-scale deep-water port.
"The construction process is progressing well and is now
entering a key stage. Thanks to the efforts of the people of the
whole province Caofeidian will one day emerge as a first-class
modern port," Bai said.
(China Daily March 13, 2007)
