Local authorities in China are ignoring central government orders and continuing to invest in dirty, resource-intensive industries, state media reported. "The central government is committed to achieving the [green] targets but some local governments have turned a blind eye to them," said He Bingguang, a deputy director at the National Development and Reform Commission. He added that Beijing realized worsening environmental degradation could "indirectly hinder social harmony". Some regions are said to be still actively developing heavy industries such as steel and cement in order to maintain their fast pace of economic growth. This doesn't tally with China's ambition to reduce energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20% between 2006 and 2010.
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