Fujian chemical project approved

The Ministry of Environmental Protection approved a chemical project in Fujian province that was put on hold in June 2007 due to protests, the South China Morning Post reported. The controversial plant will be relocated to the Gulei Peninsula from the original site in Xiamen. It will produce 800,000 tonnes of paraxylene annually, a chemical used in the production of paints and plastics. Residents had been protesting the project due to fears of increased pollution. Analysts said the move underlined the dilemma of trying to balance environmental protection while maintaining economic growth. Officials announced that the same company would open a petrochemical plant in Gulei that will use paraxylene to manufacture the chemical PET, which is used in food and liquid containers.