A Subei ‘Cancer Village’

Abstract

From 2000, local governments actively recruited polluting industries to move into rural areas of Northern Jiangsu (Subei). This chapter analyses the case of Dongjing Village. It describes the actual situation regarding industrial pollution, the interests and choices of the local government, the villagers’ resistance, the actions and limitations of the media, and the disconnect between environmental law and the actual handling of conflicts over pollution. The research found that the attitude and actions of the government showed a tendency towards post hoc crisis management. But the problem of industrial pollution is difficult to solve, and the appearance of ‘cancer villages’ during this period was related to factors including the cadre evaluation system, the structure of power and interest relations, and the lack of independence of administrative agencies.