Clean up your mess, will you?

gzlaser

THE State Environmental Protection Administration publicly criticized three multinational companies for repeatedly polluting the environment. An administration spokesperson said some World Top 500 companies with good reputations for environmental protection have violated environmental rules in China.

We ourselves have indulged these international firms. The local governments often protect them. Even the highest authority has only issued a warning to these companies instead of meting out punishment. We have already tasted the bitter fruit of pursuing economic wealth at the expense of the environment. It's time we put the environment first and enforce environmental laws and regulations more rigorously.

These multinational companies can increase local GDP and boost employment. So the local governments who often turn a blind eye to their environmental violations. However, this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Numerous domestic enterprises disregard environmental laws and get away with it. Multinational companies are just learning from them as a part of the localization process.

We need not only investment, advanced management and technology from transnational firms, but we also need their corporate culture. We expect them to set good examples for their Chinese counterparts in shouldering due social responsibility. To our disappointment, however, some firms even claim that they come to China simply because they do not have to spend as much on pollutant treatment as they do in their own country. These firms should understand that they have come to the wrong country. China is tightening controls on pollutant discharge and setting higher demands on pollutant treatment.