Views: Living in Fear

(Beijing) – A huge explosion and fire at a chemical plant in Zhangzhou, in the eastern province of Fujian, on April 6 came as little surprise to many locals. The disaster was the second at the paraxylene (PX) plant since 2013, and many areas residents have said they have lived in fear of the next problem. The plant, which produces a chemical needed to make plastics and polyester, was originally planned for nearby Xiamen. However, in 2007 residents of that coastal city protested vociferously, prompting its relocation to Zhangzhou. Residents of Zhangzhou did not want the plant either and they protested as well, but to no avail. Caixin spoke to two people from Dongshan, a county near the plant, about those demonstrations, fears about the chemical PX and what the government must do keep the blasts and fires from happening again – and win back public trust.