As Chinese provinces submit their annual GDP reports, Asia Times has two articles about the environmental impact of China’s economic growth. The first, the State of Pollution, says:
On the face of it, Guangdong, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang ranked as the top four in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), with each exceeding 1 trillion yuan. But…if the environmental damage caused by reckless economic development is factored in, the economic growth rates in these provinces could actually be negative. To whitewash their performance reports – which serve as the only criterion when it comes to assessing governance, and thus translate into promotions – local officials think nothing of laying waste to the environment, as long as they can churn out the right numbers.
The second, Wrangle over green GDP, discusses the debates over whether China can and should implement a Green GDP policy.
