China factories going green, energy efficient
Dawn, November 6, 2013SHANGHAI: Greener growth and energy efficiency will be the key words for the future development of China’s manufacturing sector in the face of growing pressure on resources and costs, a senior industrial official said on Tuesday.
“At the moment, 70 per cent of Chinese cities couldn’t meet the new standard for air quality, while water and soil pollution are becoming a more serious issue,” said Su Bo, vice-minister of industry and information technology, during the 15th China International Industrial Fair in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, he said, some manufacturing sectors are losing their competitiveness to Southeast Asian countries because of a diminishing demographic dividend, with the country nearing a reflection point regarding population growth.