Slaying Cement Dragon
The city government of Xinzheng in Central China’s Henan Province has suspended construction of a huge cement dragon on a mountain ridge of a State forest park within its jurisdiction.
Without permits from the departments of land resources, forest and environmental protection at both local and central levels, the construction of a 21-kilometer-long concrete dragon is clearly illegal.
The State Forestry Bureau has required its provincial branch to investigate. The State Administration of Environmental Protection has organized a team to probe into the case as has the city government.
Any construction project within a State forest park must be included in the park’s development program. But this project went ahead before the overall park plan was completed.
The construction began without approval in 2002. It was suspended in 2003 by the local government, but restarted in 2006. Sources from the company in charge of the project reportedly said that it had been approved by the local government and listed as a major project for soliciting investment.
The local government can hardly escape the charge of negligence of duty although some local officials claim the project was a private one without any local government investment.
We will not know what is behind this scandal without further investigation. Yet, this case, as with similar ones, sends the message that profit-driven business activities are defying the rule of law the central government is making painstaking efforts to build.
Local governments at the grass-roots level are the frontlines against such attacks. Unfortunately many surrender and even become accomplices in the thirst for economic gain.
In this instance, the suspension of the construction should not be the end of the case. Investigations are needed into possible corruption.
The winning of this battle will have far-reaching impact on the fight against other such illegal activities.
(c) 2007 China Daily; North American ed.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.