Should it open, the Taizhou plant would make paraxylene (PX), a petrochemical used in polyester. It would be part of a larger petroleum-processing complex costing 60 billion yuan (US$8.8 billion), according to reports in the official Taizhou Daily.
Taizhou residents are using internet blogs and text messages to stage planned protest “strolls”. One message on a local website (https://bbs.taizhou.com) coordinating the opposition read: “Resolutely oppose the PX project. As Taizhou residents, everyone must take some action. We want clear water and green hills, not toxic cash.”
Regional government officials – whose priority often remains attracting fresh investment and revenue – are in favour of the plant for Taizhou. Last year, protests against a PX plant planned for another coastal city, Xiamen, led to officials shelving it.
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