A nationwide campaign to promote sustainable development has been going on for years. But in times of the deepening global recession, it is imperative to be careful while launching projects to keep the economy afloat, albeit, at the cost of the environment.

The suspension of the PX (paraxylene) project in Xiamen, Fujian province, in 2007, ended a battle, in which environmental concerns on the toxic chemical gained the upper hand on economic profits. Yet, the re-launch and relocation of the project in Zhangzhou, a neighboring city to Xiamen, raises doubts whether environmental protection is falling prey to the stabilization of economic growth.

It could be assumed that the PX project has passed environmental assessments, as it recently gained preliminary approval from the Ministry of Environmental Protection.