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R 170811Z DEC 07          ZDK CTG NUM SVCS
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 001288 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM AND OES/PCI 
EPA FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM SENV ECON PGOV CH
SUBJECT: Xiamen Shuts Down Online Poll amidst Public Opposition to 
Chemical Plant 
 
REF: A) Guangzhou 620, B) Guangzhou 742 
 
GUANGZHOU 00001288  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
(U) This document is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  In the realm of make sure the response you get is 
the response you're looking for, the Xiamen city 
government-sponsored website - Xiamen Web - was shut down after an 
overwhelming number of online voters expressed opposition to the 
construction of a chemical plant near the center of the city.  The 
decision to shut down the website (citing technical problems) 
clearly calls into question the government's commitment to 
transparency and environmental health. Xiamen government has not yet 
released an official statement on its current plans for the 
construction of the chemical plant.  End summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
GDP Growth vs. Environmental Safety 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) For the better part of 2007, Xiamen's government and 
concerned citizens have been at odds regarding the construction of a 
chemical plant by Tenglong Aromatic PX (Xiamen) Company (ref A). 
The proposed plant would produce paraxylene (PX) -- a potent eye, 
nose, and throat irritant -- for use in the manufacturing of 
plastics, polyester, and film.  Xiamen's government estimates that 
the approximately USD 1.4 billion Taiwan-invested plant would 
produce 800,000 tons of paraxylene annually.  Overall, the plant 
would contribute RMB 80 billion (approx. USD 11 billion) to Xiamen's 
economy.  Xiamen residents, however, are concerned by the possible 
environmental impact.  In May 2007, Xiamen suspended construction of 
the plant after residents planned large-scale demonstrations. 
 
¶3. (U) The Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences 
(CRAES) recently conducted an environmental risk assessment for 
Haicang District, the proposed location for the plant.  The study's 
vague findings neither affirmed nor denied the project's 
environmental risks.  However, it concluded that construction of the 
chemical plant, and the possible future development of Haicang into 
an industrial hub, would require the relocation of many residences. 
The report also called on the government to seek public input in the 
decision-making process. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Technology and Modern-day Protests 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Xiamen Web, a website sponsored by the Xiamen Committee of 
the Communist Party, established a webpage to allow citizens to cast 
their vote for or against the plant's construction.  Voting 
commenced on the evening of December 8, and with an estimated 55,000 
votes against and 3,000 votes in favor of the chemical plant, the 
website was unexpectedly taken offline the evening of December 10. 
Xiamen Web said the website was shut down due to technical 
difficulties and programming challenges, claiming that problems with 
the website's IP address prevented the company from weeding out 
duplicate votes -- a problem some computer experts say could have 
easily been solved without discounting all votes. 
 
¶5. (U) In the wake of the cancelled online poll, Fujian province 
officials held a forum December 13 and 14, giving Xiamen residents 
the opportunity to voice their opinions regarding the pending 
construction plans.  Through a lottery system for residents who 
registered online, or via hotline, 107 speakers were selected; 91 
spoke in opposition to the plant, 15 spoke in favor, and 1 resident 
chose to walk-out of the forum. It is still unclear how this forum 
will affect the government's decision on how to proceed.  Xiamen's 
government has not yet released an official statement on its current 
plans for the construction of the chemical plant. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Local Businesses Face Concerned Employees 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Local business owners, some of whom were not aware of the 
existence of the voting website, varied in their assessments of the 
dispute.  Jeff Lee, Vice Chairman of the Xiamen Taiwanese 
Businessmen Association, and owner of Haicang District's Far East 
Steel Industry Company, told us he had "insider" information that 
the site would be built, though he did not disclose his sources. 
Lee noted that many of his workers had threatened to quit if the 
 
GUANGZHOU 00001288  002 OF 002 
 
 
chemical plant is built near their factory.  Lee has already made 
plans to relocate his factory pending the construction of the 
chemical plant, claiming that other area businessmen have the same 
plan.  Kodak Company (Xiamen branch) External Affairs Manager Yek 
Li, on the other hand, has no plans to relocate, though he conceded 
that his workers, too, shared the sentiments of Lee's employees. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Comment: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) While the establishment of the polling website was 
originally seen as a step in the right direction toward public 
involvement in the decision-making process, its cancellation once 
again called into question the Xiamen Municipal Government's 
transparency.  Government officials should not have been too 
surprised by the poll results.  Opponents previously demonstrated 
their ability to use technology in pursuit of their cause.  City 
residents used more than one million text messages (SMS) to organize 
a major protest in June after the authorities blocked email messages 
related to the planned demonstration (ref B). 
 
GOLDBERG