Jiangmen government gives written pledge to scrap uranium processing plant

Jiangmen handed over an official document reaffirming the city's plans to scrap a proposed uranium processing plant yesterday after residents refused to believe that the project was dead.

The formal red-letter statement was released after more than 2,000 protesters marched on the municipal government headquarters - the third such rally in as many days - to secure written assurances that Jiangmen officials would stick by their promise on Saturday to withdraw the project.

Even public appearances by municipal party secretary Liu Hai and Mayor Peng Guomei failed to satisfy protesters that the 37 billion yuan (HK$46.4 billion) plant would not return.

"I am here to promise all the Jiangmen people that the government has formally scrapped the project, with an official document being released very soon," Liu told the crowd at about 11am, urging them to return home.

But the crowd stood its ground, leaving only after Jiangmen Vice-Mayor Huang Yue-sheng arrived and read the document out loud. It was also posted on the government's website and a bulletin board outside the government building.

The incident underlined what analysts say is a growing credibility problem for local officials on the mainland, where environmental protests have recently prompted the withdrawal of several major industrial projects.

Many opponents remained sceptical that the government would so easily abandon a plant that could provide as much as half of the fuel for the country's atomic power needs.