Cover editorial, issue no. 345, Dec 10th 2007
Original article: [Chinese]

On the cusp of this past summer, Xiamen citizens sent an urgent message of opposition to the construction of the PX (p-xylene) chemical engineering project. As a result, the Xiamen government suspended it and decided to conduct an environmental impact assessment before deciding whether or not to continue.

On December 5th, the Xiamen government announced that the assessment had nearly been completed, and called for public participation and opinions. For the next ten days, citizens could send their opinions via letters, email, phone, and at town-hall meetings. The arrangements for the public seminars will be announced soon.

Xiamen government deserves high praise, though the results of public participation still remain to be seen.

We are not environmental extremists and will not put blind blame on the PX chemical project. To our knowledge, the project has gone through all the necessary governmental procedures, including having been approved by the State Council in 2004, the State Environment Protection Administration in 2005, the National Development and Reform Commission in 2006. Compared with some local governments’ false reports on certain projects, it could be regarded as a paradigm for “administration according to law”.

Public opinion on the environmental impact of projects involving chemical engineering or hydro and nuclear power, is not necessarily scientific. In evaluating the benefits of such a project to the local economy, even experts can be subjective. This is the why there must be a fair judge and executor, who strikes a balance between the different interests groups.

We must always remember that the government draws its power from the people, and that this power is limited and not absolute. A project that is closely related to the public interests is only reasonable when it is decided on by by the greater public through a democratic system. It should not be dealt with only after overwhelming public reactions suddenly break out. In this way, investors have stable expectations, the government’s goals of economic growth can be achieved, and the public's interest is protected.

The events in Xiamen are a huge step forward, but it is still enough. If we can extend “public participation” to the legislature, let delegates accountable to the public take part in decision-making, and design democratic mechanisms as perfect as the ones by which data and reports are currently made to the higher levels of government, though the cost seems higher and efficiency lower, the returns will be significant.

Xiamen's PX chemical project is, perhaps, becoming a testing ground for reform of China’s political system. If this is the case, we hope it lasts longer than 10 days.