Protest in China at chemical plant plans for Kunming

Protest in China at chemical plant plans for Kunming
BBC News

Hundreds of people have rallied in the Chinese city of Kunming to protest at plans for a factory producing a toxic chemical for the textile industry.

Some demonstrators wore symbolic masks and brandished posters warning against the dangers of a paraxylene (PX) spill.

"We want to survive, we want health, get PX out of Kunming", a banner read.

Two years ago, protests against a PX factory in the city of Dalian forced the city government to close the plant, though it reportedly re-opened later.

Saturday's protest in Kunming, in the south-west of the country, attracted at least 200 people, according to state media.

Chinese bloggers, however, put the number at up to 2,000.

The China National Petroleum Corporation plans to build a chemical plant in the nearby town of Anning to produce 500,000 tonnes of PX annually.

PX is is used to create raw materials for the production of polyester film and fabrics.

Correspondents say urban Chinese are becoming increasingly confident about protesting at potential threats to their environment.