The recent NIMBY movement against a PX chemical plant in the Chinese city of Ningbo ultimately followed the same trajectory as did protests in Shifang and Qidong in July, 2012. After a tense confrontation between citizens and the government and violent but ineffective intervention by SWAT agents, the government backed down on October 28 by promising never to build the plant there. PX is a type of chemical product the potential health effects of which are still being debated.

The compromises made by the government in these three cases have led many to cheer for “victories of the public will.” Indeed, the fact that NIMBY movements have become more frequent in recent years reflects citizens’ increasing demand for political participation, demands which the government can no longer ignore. @风飘飘1970_p7s, a user of Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter, and a local resident of Ningbo, joins in celebration. “This is a victory which belongs to the people of Ningbo; this is a victory for the public will. The past three days have been very hard, but have moved the whole city.”

Read Here – Tea Leaf Nation