Tangshan’s Pollution-Control Measures Fall Victim to Quest for Profits

(Beijing) — “As virtue rises one foot, vice rises 10”: The Chinese Buddhist proverb is often cited as a reminder to people that the fight for righteousness can be sabotaged by powerful countervailing forces.

Take the case of Tangshan, a coastal city in Hebei province.

Tangshan, which accounts for a tenth of the country’s steel capacity, proved once again that well-intentioned government policies can end up backfiring as profit-minded company managers find ways to skirt the rules.