Why China Cannot Fight Pollution - Forbes
As the climate change summit in Durban, South Africa is about to begin, China’s Vice-Premier Li Keqiang has a clear and loud message about the country’s climate concerns: “Energy conservation and environmental protection is a long-term strategy as well as an urgent practical option for China.” While we do agree with the first part of the statement, we disagree with the second.
Comment:
It is important to understand the Chineseness of "long term strategy". For PRC, founded recently (in time scale of Chinese history) in 1949, borrowed the ancient Chinese custom of viewing history with a very, very long view: in thousands of years instead of decades. A "long term strategy" may meant they will do something about it in a century, or a millenium. Certainly not now, not soon, not this decade. It's another way to say: "We have other priorities", or "Till our per capita GDP is twice that of USA".
Forbes is right in calling the hidden agenda behind "urgent practical option for China". It is an option. That means there are other "urgent practical options for China". Oh, by the way, it is for China, and for China only. You are not allowed to have those options. And it is only a "practical option", it is not a principle, it is not a purpose, it is not a goal, it is not an objective, it is not a dogma, it is not a method. It is something to do if practical. And "practical" can mean: "If it grows our GDP quickly.", or "if it makes all Chinese government official filthy rich", or "if it defeats the US", or "if it let me migrate to the US safely with all my money intact".
PRC just do not have the will to fight pollution, or at least, don't have as much will to fight pollution as to make their rich and powerful richer and more powerful.
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