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The Chinise government announces anInvestment of about us $17 billion inMore than a thousand environmentalNis, during the next five years,so critics doubt the credibility ofpropeas. Xie Zhenhua, head,Real Environmental Protection97 (%WA), announced this substan-Ipprease in environmental invest-i is November, in Beijing.a a currently discussing its Quo vadis., is China on ait Fnr Year plan (1996-2000) winch will be formallyadopted by the NationalPeople's Congress at the beginning of am year.
Despite this increase, ChinaIs only spending 0.8 per cent ofIts GNP environment. It is stillshaping as environmental legislotion. According to Zhenhua, itcould talk another five years todo so. The execution of theexisting regulations is another big problem, as the NEPA has very fewother options than persuasion to carryout her policies in China's provincesand cities.
It will now be a bigger problem toensure that the assigned sum is spent onenvironmental projects and not onringroads and airports. In big citiesringroads might solve air pollution caused by traffic jams. So, in the shortterm, there might be a reqson to call itan environmental project only leadingto an increase in the use of cars.
Environmental problems have beenspreading from the former industrialstrongholds in the cities, to the 20 million township enterprises in the coun-tryside. These enterprises alone produced 4.3 billion tonnes of waste waterlast year.
The newly announced environmental programme will focus on regionswhich have the severest problems andthe industries with the biggest problems. Zhenhua criticised the "wastefuleconomic growth" and the less thanstrict application of environmental regulations while speaking at anInternational Business LeadersSymposium in Beijing. Heannounced punishment forcriminal behaviour leading toserious environmental pollutionand destruction".
Zhenhua feared that fastexpanding environmental pollution would damage the economic and social developmentsof some regions. He especiallyblamed the power industrywhich, because of its low efficiency, used relatively muchmore coal to produce the sameamount of energy.
Despite the good intentions displayed by NEPA, the government is beeping mixed signals. Although the stacontrolled media has highlighted greatemphasis on stiff environmental measures, the media would be no less enthusiastic if China starts new environmentunfriendly economic projects.
Only in October, the newspapershad announced a series of new agreements regarding the car industry. Someof the headlines read as follows: us $1billion General Moto rs join t ven ture inShanghai to set up sedan vehicle production; Ford is seeking cooperation with aJiangxi automaker, Mercedes unveils anE-Class model for the Chinese market,Daimler-Benz set for China Car Deal,and the like.Evidently, the car industryenjoys a lot of support in China.
Zhenhua pointed out that althoughthe Chinese government claimed tohave encouraged the use of high-gradelead-free petrol, the newjoint venture ofGeneral Motors in Shanghai will produce leaded petrol engines.