China shut down up to 40% of its factories in an unprecedented stand against pollution.
China is cracking down on factories that have been flouting their emissions regulations; corporate polluters can expect even tougher measures as the government seeks to tackle its environmental problems.
These are big moves that signal China's new 'war on pollution', but senior government officials claim that current anti-pollution measures will have negligible effects on the economy:
"Measures to fight pollution don't have a big impact on economic growth," Zhang Yong, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, told reporters during a briefing.
However, a recent New York Times article seems to indicate that the Chinese economy, which has grown exponentially in the past four decades at the expense of the environment, may slow as a result of more stringent regulations.
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