Official loses battle for a cause

Hou Yizhong, former Party secretary of the environmental protection bureau of Yizheng, Jiangsu province, had tried to relocate two local polluting chemical plants during his more than four years in office, but in vain. An article in the Qilu Evening News on Wednesday explains why. Excerpts:

One cannot but feel amazed at the futile attempts by a local environmental protection chief to fight pollution. What sounds more amazing is that it was not a lone battle fought by Hou himself. Behind him were more than 200 local residents and even people with influence, such as former directors of the local environment protection, financial and public health departments.

The chemical plants continuing their operations illustrates how environmental protection rules can be easily trampled under by the local government abusing power. For we know that such polluting factories cannot survive without a huge protective umbrella.