Legal construction of PX projects should continue: environmental minister

BEIJING, March 7 -- China's environmental protection minister Chen Jining said here on Saturday that the construction of city garbage incinerators and PX (paraxylene) projects should continue, but on the conditions that certain requirements are met.

Chen made the remarks at a press conference in response to a reporter on the protests against the construction of PX factories or garbage incinerators.

"PX products are important industrial materials while garbage incinerators are important part of modern city's infrastructure, so we should support those projects," said Chen, adding construction sites must be scientifically decided and they must pass environmental impact assessment.

After construction, such projects should be under strict regulation so that the public can be assured, added Chen.

The construction of PX projects and garbage incinerators, if poorly handled, can lead to political problems, said Chen, adding such "not-in-my-backyard" situations also happened in other countries.

Chen urged local governments to better handling information disclosure work on the construction and said factories should work together with local communities on defusing such misunderstandings instead of hiding behind the government.