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Pollution In China's Cities. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, The Feng Shui Factor, And What's Wrong With Yantai?

By Dan Harris and Steve Dickinson

China Environmental Law Blog just did a post, entitled, "China's Blacklisted Cities," on a recently released environmental report from China's Ministry of Environmental Protection. The report calls out the following cities for their pollution problems: Bad Air: * Bayannur and Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia * Baiyin, Gansu * Urumqi, Xinjiang * Huanggang, Hubei Bad Water: * Hengshui and Cangzhou, Hebei * Linfen, Shanxi * Fuyang, Anhui * Tongchuan, Shaanxi * Wuwei, Gansu The report lists the following cities as having the highest "satisfaction rate" (greater than 90%) in terms of pollution: * Linyi, Dongying, Rizhao and Yantai, Shandong Province * Daqing, and Heihe, Heilongjiang Province My firm has a good client in Yantai and so I have been there a few times and I have to say it is one of my favorite Chinese cities. It has great buildings, great waterfront views, great weather, great beer and apples, and, what has always struck me as clean air. On top of that, our experience has been that its local government is very receptive and supportive of foreign business. I have often wondered why then it seems to usually be so far off the radar of Western businesses looking to China. I have asked many people this question, and I have received the following answers: -- "bad history" -- "not Han enough" -- "too small" -- too remote -- "bad Feng Shui. The city is sited wrong in terms of the water. it gives me the heebie-jeebies." So why have foreign companies not flocked to Yantai?

Full post as published by China Law Blog on October 11, 2008 (boomark / email).