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China pollution

China pollution
Latest news and analysis about the degradation of the air quality, water, marine environment and soil in China.
A boy looks at a table demonstrating photovoltaic power generation at the Green Energy Pavilion during the 10th China-South Asia Expo in Kunming, Yunnan province, on June 13. Photo: Xinhua
China energy security

China green-energy costs seen undercutting traditional energy as capacity soars

Energy-storage chairman eyes ‘0.1-yuan era’ for equipment as solar and wind projects gradually sideline coal in the nation’s power-generation mix.

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Video | Chinese authorities investigate ‘cancer village’ in Wuhan

Trending in China

Chinese man blasts ghost stories for 10 hours daily to retaliate against neighbour

Science

China flexes surveillance muscle with South China Sea garbage count

Satellite remote sensing and ship monitoring are among technologies used to cover the 3.5 million sq km of water, some in disputed areas.

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China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment says it counted 0.67 microplastic items per cubic metre in areas of the South China Sea. Photo: Shutterstock
China technology

Editorial | China steps up its clean energy push with electric ships

As the world’s largest shipbuilder and a leader in EVs and advanced batteries, the country is well placed to help clean up the polluting shipping industry.

China energy security

China to dismantle local power protectionism in push to electrify national grid

State Council directive eyes unified power market, curbing provincial fragmentation to boost green energy expansion and optimise resource flow.

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China’s carbon neutral goal

Green gambit sees China turn old oil pipeline into new carbon highway

Successful 27km trial unlocks vast carbon dioxide transport potential, bridging geographical gaps to accelerate a process seen as vital to large-scale decarbonisation.

China has successfully repurposed a long-haul oil pipeline to transport carbon dioxide. Photo: CCTV
China energy security

Shanxi’s green leap: renewables surpass coal in China’s energy hub

Where Shanxi goes, China goes, in their broad energy overhaul, as the region with a quarter of the nation’s coal serves as the ultimate proving ground for Beijing’s ‘dual carbon’ strategy.

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Mainland China

Video | ‘If it gets any colder, you couldn’t take it’

In China’s Hebei province, rural residents say they cannot afford to heat their homes enough after the switch to natural gas from coal.

Accidents and disasters in China

How Beijing’s clean air success left China’s rural farmers in the cold

In neighbouring Hebei province, rural residents say they cannot afford to heat their homes enough after switch from coal.

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Beijing has recorded its best air quality performance since data started being collected more than a decade ago. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

When mines run dry: why some Chinese cities are racing to reinvent themselves

Once China’s answer to Pittsburgh, steel hub Panzhihua faces same challenge as other old industrial cities: how to avoid ‘rust belt’ decline.

Illustration by Lau Ka-kuen
China energy security

China surpasses 10,000km of subsea pipelines, boosting offshore energy network

Pipeline network is designed to be able to carry green fuels, offering China more flexibility in its transition towards clean energy.

Artificial intelligence

Hong Kong AI start-up develops emission monitoring system, targets mainland

The AURA framework from ANTEI AI can help replace labour-intensive monitoring done in some countries, the CEO says.

Environment

New study revisits link between air pollution in East Asia and global warming

Scientist Bjorn Samset says discovery that clean-up may contribute to warming shows intricate nature of climate change and dynamics at play.

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In China, pollution levels peaked in 2013 before the nation intensified its “war on pollution” efforts. But the clean-up removed particles that may have protected against surface warming, according to a new study. Photo: AFP
Environment

Opinion | Is Asia’s cleaner air driving global warming?

Air pollution has held human-induced warming in check for the past century by acting as an artificial sunshade, a new study shows.

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A child holds a portable fan to cool off amid a yellow heat alert in Shanghai, China, on July 4. Photo: Reuters
China society

Opinion | Lead poisoning scandal in China shows tendency to cover up is still strong

Suppression of information in such cases is part of a familiar pattern of local government response.

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China’s Communist Party

Chinese lead poisoning scandal sparks backlash, echoing earlier controversies

Observers say alleged attempt to cover up high lead levels in kindergarteners follows pattern seen in other safety incidents in China.

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China energy security

Solar energy milestone: China taps the ocean in breakthrough for industry

The Qingdao-based project is projected to boost offshore power and help cut emissions by 14,000 tonnes annually.

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China’s first factory-scale all-seawater floating photovoltaic project was completed and put into use at Sinopec Qingdao Refining and Chemical on July 1, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
Environment

Opinion | How Asia’s failure to cooperate is killing its rivers and oceans

The recent UN Ocean Conference was a missed opportunity for a region that has the means to save its marine environment, but not the political will.

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Environment

From Avatar to mountain of rubbish: China pulls decade of trash from caves

Officials say villagers dumped rubbish when the local government banned incineration but did not yet have a collection service.

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China society

Opinion | How China’s modernisation offers a new path to prosperity

Focused on equity and shared development outcomes, China’s path to modernity has both distinct characteristics and global relevance.

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Tourists look at a Terracotta Army warrior in Xian, Shaanxi province, in 2023. In recent years, China has improved its system of museums and libraries while supporting a flourishing cultural industry. Photo: Xinhua
Climate change

Opinion | China must resist greenwashing its dirty coal habit with green bonds

Can China credibly claim climate leadership while doubling down on its dirtiest fuel?

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Vehicles transfer coal at a port in Chongqing, southwestern China on April 20. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong environmental issues

Editorial | Raise awareness of air pollution hazards in Hong Kong

We can’t control the weather, but proper warnings must be issued in a timely manner so that Hongkongers can take appropriate precautions.

China food security

Beijing bids adieu to ‘basic’ farmland with plan to supercharge soil

When it’s basic farmland vs ‘well-facilitated’ farmland, the latter considerably outperforms in cost and yield.

Business of climate change

Hang Lung pushes for faster decarbonisation in construction sector

Developer urges quicker regulatory progress and pilot programmes to expedite low-carbon material adoption, vital for decarbonising the sector.

The construction industry is responsible for nearly 40 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions. Photo: Jelly Tse
China energy security

China’s nuclear power ambitions at core of energy security amid safety concerns

Now the world’s biggest market for nuclear power, China has more than 100 reactors in use or being built along the nation’s coastline.

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With a combined installed capacity of 113 million kilowatts, China currently has 102 reactors in use or being built. Image: Shutterstock
Art

Art made from plastic waste on Chinese beaches makes a statement

Fu Junsheng collects plastic that washes up on China’s Miaodao islands and turns it into art that highlights the problem of marine pollution.

SCMP Highlights

Recap | Smog shuts New Delhi schools, Shanghai tops pollution list: 6 environment stories

From India’s toxic smog crisis to McDonald’s tackling cow methane, explore the global fight against pollution in our latest stories on the environment.

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