Governors summoned to ministry should get stain on their records

ON MONDAY, the Ministry of Environmental Protection summoned the governors of Siping and Gongzhuling in Northeast China's Jilin province, Hengshui in North China's Hebei province, Zibo in Shandong province, Xingyang in Henan province and Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province, and the High-Tech District of Changzhi in North China's Shanxi province for explanations for the worsening condition of the local environment and their poor handling of air pollution. Southern Metropolis Daily comments:

Since the ministry started the governor-inquiry practice in 2014, the heads of at least 15 city and county governments have been called to the ministry to explain their poor performance in protecting the local environment and ecology.

The inquiry mechanism serves as a warning to local governments that they must do more to fulfill their responsibilities in environmental conservation.