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What are some of the root causes of environmental damage in China? What are some of the effects of environmental damage?  How has China’s government (Xi Jinping) managed this crisis?  Will Xi’s policies improve or worsen China’s future?

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Can you imagine having to wear a face mask every time you go outside and never seeing the sun, only gray skies?  How would you feel if you got lung cancer from the terrible smog, and then died while waiting to see a doctor because the hospital could not take more patients?  Leaders of the Chinese Communist Party have repeatedly prioritized economic production and party loyalty over the enforcement of environmental protection regulations.  Thus, China’s severe environmental damage, which has impacted the health of its large population and the Earth, serves as a wake-up call to China’s current paramount leader: Xi Jinping.  The environmental destruction poses as the most urgent challenge to China’s future success because the pollution will continue to kill thousands with cancer, interrupt the lives of those surrounded by the contaminated Yangtze river, and cause severe habitat and species loss– among innumerable effects.

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Today, China’s environmental crisis is most critical.  At a glance, the air pollution levels and greenhouse gas emissions are dangerously high, and there is widespread water and soil contamination (Hsu 1).  Ultrafine particles, consisting of black carbon from incomplete combustion, sulfates, and nitrates,  pollute the air (Jia). Recently, these particles exceeded 500 μg/m³ in Beijing (Jia). Comparatively, that concentration is twice the daily concentration the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers dangerous to human health, and few U.S. cities reported a concentration of 12 µg/m³ during the same time China conducted their data (Jia).  Moreover, a narrative shared by Wu Guang, a Jiangsu province resident, depicts one of countless effects of the environmental ignorance.  Trash stuck in his boat’s propeller, preventing him from moving (You).  Mounds of clothes, plastic packaging, cans, and even dead animals coated the Yangtze river, encapsulating his boat.  The waste disposal issue is large to say the least.  In 2015 alone, the country produced a total of 185.6 million tons of household waste, according to an annual report published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (You).  According to a 2014 report by China Construction News, piles of garbage now cover 500 square feet of China.

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China's polluted Water

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Also, China’s focus on industrial growth has caused immense destruction of animals’ habitats. Both the Yangtze River Dolphin and the South China Tiger are extinct, and the Chinese Alligator, Panda, and Crested Ibis are scarce (Endangered Species).

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Yet, these horrific accounts did not develop overnight; early CCP leaders’ neglection of the environment planted the seeds for environmental degradation.  In particular, when Deng Xiaoping seized power in 1978, he prioritized economic development through his reforms and goal of quadrupling the Gross National Product Economic (China Since 1644, 292).  He revised the constitution to allow four special economic zones–where foreign investors built factories and conducted capitalist businesses (China Since 1644).  These zones were extremely attractive to western investors due to the inexpensive Chinese labor and cheap coal for energy.  Over time, neglecting the negative effects of burning coal resulted in air pollution reaching an all-time high, causing cancer rates to skyrocket.  To illustrate, the Tumor Hospital at Hebei reported lung cancer rates to have increased 306 percent from 1973 to 2012 (Carney). Also, most climate experts agree that China's industrial growth and dependence on coal burning are significant drivers of climate change. Deng’s narrative is one of many examples where China’s leaders concentrated on economic growth without considering the detrimental impact of the production methods.  Moreover, in 1981, the Communist Youth League Central Committee described the exemplary youth communist to “wrest high yields, make more contributions, and provide the state and the collective with more agricultural and sideline products” (Communist Youth League).  These criterion emphasize economic progression, not mentioning the proper ways to produce without harming the environment.  Today, manufacturers use precious timber resources in order to satisfy the growing demand for paper and minerals, causing deforestation; this deforestation destroys animals’ habitat (Endangered Species).  In addition, China’s urban middle class’ wealth has substantially increased, shifting their consumer patterns to purchase items like red meat, liquor and automobiles–previous luxuries (Lallanilla). These patterns multiplied on China’s immense scale concern the environment.  In particular, the increase in production of animal agriculture requires great amounts of water, and the countless vehicles’ emissions increase air pollution.

As one can imagine, this crisis requires tremendous effort due to its scale and criticality.  The lack of environmental attention in history has generated numerous negative effects.  China has experienced severe habitat and species loss (Hsu 12).   Moreover, the high pollution rates have had a direct correlation with the cancer rates. In 2015 alone, more than four million people in China were diagnosed with the disease, causing nearly three million deaths (Carney).   In several of the industrial, coal-producing provinces, such as Shanxi, lung cancer rates have increased a staggering four-fold, but authorities are reluctant to recognize the outbreak (Carney).  Consequently, hospitals are overwhelmed with patients; some people die while waiting months for treatment.  Equally, the corruption in the waste disposal industry has caused China’s beautiful rivers to transform into rubbish piles, affecting citizens like Wu Guang whose ancestor’s livelihood depended on the river.

Fortunately, Xi Jinping has addressed this crisis through his written ambitious policies.  In his abundant list of plans for attacking the environmental crisis at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017, Xi Jinping claimed the government will “establish a legal and policy framework that promotes green production and consumption,” as well as “create a market-based system for green technology innovation, develop green finance, and spur the development of energy-saving and environmental protection industries” (Xi 45).  The government’s 13th five year plan also states optimistic objectives for the reduction in air pollution and coal emissions (Hsu). Specifically, they will gradually replace coal with natural gas. Also, a recent Bloomberg article suggests utilizing “cheap solar power,” another efficient energy alternative (Smith).  As illustrated in the video below at 1:10, a major textile company in Guangdong, earning approximately one billion dollars annually, prides themselves on their sustainable practices, demonstrating that successful industrial production and environmental sustainability are not exclusive.  They recycle water and lower their energy use.  Additionally, on site, they have a power plant, which generates electricity and produces steam for heating.  This exemplary company provides for China’s environmental awareness.

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China Weighs Environmental Concerns Against Economic Growth

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Lastly, in response to the significant habitat and species lost, the government increased the number of nature reserves, forest parks, national scenic areas, and national geological parks, totaling to 17% of China’s total land area (Hsu 13).  China has also established seventeen national marine reserves and required sustainable fishing practices, such as a fishing licensing system and a fishing ban season (Hsu 13).

Despite the government’s considerable efforts, it is important to acknowledge that the government lacks environmental transparency and many of Xi’s plans have been poorly executed.  For illustration, the police quickly extinguish environmental-related protests, and the government blocks films that show the extent of the negative impacts of environmental damage (Standaert).  Their methods of response are similar to those during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests: ignoring the people’s cries.  Xi has mastered retrieving information and controlling the narrative to protect his image. The government immediately blocked a documentary from the internet called Plastic China, which examined the dirty business of recycling imported plastic, even showing a baby being born on a mound of trash. This incident was not the first time they have censored environmental-related media to avoid government criticism.  The government should have let the film elicit the ban of imports on foreign waste.  Experts have recognized issues of inaccessible data, inconsistencies between sources, and data gaps (Hsu 2).  Many of the government’s statistics are considered “state secrets” (Hsu 2).  Soil quality data serves as a prime example of the government’s sensitivity due to its linkage to food safety.  Despite the surveys conducted, they are often only available in their original print, and the little data online is often difficult to access (Hsu 2).  Overall, the government’s opaqueness regarding the crisis trump my optimism for Xi’s policies.  Although his CCP Congress speech was filled with utopian goals, observers must take them with a grain of salt.  For example, he says the government will “encourage simple, moderate, green, and low-carbon ways of life, and oppose extravagance and excessive consumption,” yet we see China’s population consuming more than ever before.  Though the government increased the number of nature reservations, the enforcement of those areas does not agree with their published standards.  Many environmental landmarks lack funding and proper management.  Unsurprisingly, reserve managers often prioritize revenue generation rather than protecting the environment (Hsu 13).  Ultimately, “solving” the environmental crisis will demand for strict policies.  For example, to avoid extinction and protect biodiversity, the government must abolish deforestation.  Overall, Xi Jinping must never compromise environmental concerns over raising the GDP.  Otherwise, these statistics will continue to plague the country, eventually making China an extremely unpleasant place to reside.

Some Chinese analysts argue that the food and water scarcity presents China with the most exigent challenge.  However, these scarcities are merely a consequence of the lack of environmental awareness.  If Chinese consumers and producers were environmentally conscious, then there would be adequate food. For instance, the increase in red meat consumption alone requires an abundance in grain and water to feed the livestock, which could instead be used to feed citizens.

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