China’s Asbestos Conundrum
Some people are bothered by inconsistencies, I’m one of them. I’ll give you some examples:
- the fact that many CEOs from Silicon Valley ban their kids from having mobile phones;
- the sale of “baby powder” not recommended for use on babies;
- the support received by billionaire politicians from working class populations.
The garbled English language translation of a recent online article about asbestos developments in China left me with more questions than answers.1 Feedback from colleagues, clarified that the text was indeed both confusing and out of line with China’s official policy, as we knew it.2 As the 21st century dawned, China was both the world’s second biggest asbestos-consuming (382,315 tonnes/t) and producing (315,000t) country. By 2022, however, annual usage had fallen to 261,000t (a decrease of 32%) and production to 130,000t (a 59% fall).
Figures for the last few years corroborated the continued decline in both use and production. The reason for this U-turn was explained in a paper published last month (September 2024) entitled Burden of malignant mesothelioma in China during 1990–2019 and the projections through 2029, which stated that China’s official policy on asbestos had undergone a major shift in 2013-14; intriguingly, the co-authors gave no more information and declined to provide footnotes to substantiate this statement.3
Within the context of this discussion, it is noteworthy to mention the flurry of publications which have appeared in recent years about China’s incidence of asbestos-related diseases, including one 2023 article by scientists from Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences which not only called for: “developing countries to ban asbestos altogether” but also pointed out that “all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans.”4 Contemporaneously, a government department uploaded a document outlining new measures to protect citizens from exposures to asbestos:
“the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Health Commission will strengthen the standardized management of chrysotile asbestos production enterprises, increase publicity on occupational disease prevention and control, and strengthen the popularization of knowledge on protection against dust hazards such as chrysotile asbestos, especially strengthening publicity and education on health protection knowledge during the demolition of construction products such as asbestos tiles, reducing the occurrence of occupational diseases, and protecting the health rights and interests of the people.”5
So far, so good. Now, let’s return to the contentious article – Seeking innovation and green development: enlightenment from Qinghai's efforts to create a safe and secure environment and escape poverty – written by Xinhua News Agency reporters: Luo Xiaofei, Zhou Shengsheng and Zhang Long.
The text, which was illustrated with colored photos of asbestos workers who seemed to be lacking adequate protective equipment, praised restructuring efforts which had improved the prospects of asbestos producers in Qinghai Province. Boasting of the strides made by the implementation of mixed-ownership reforms, the Chuang'an Asbestos Company was revered as a role model not only for increasing production and sales volume, but also for accessing international markets by building demand in Viet Nam and Myanmar. From both the text and illustrations it seems unlikely that the latest asbestos guidelines from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Health Commission have yet to reach the country’s asbestos heartlands on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, 1,700+ miles from Beijing.
Will the circle be squared anytime soon? Let’s see….
October 18, 2024
_______
1 向新求变、向绿而生——青海创安以改脱困的启示 [Seeking innovation and green development: enlightenment from Qinghai's efforts to create a safe and secure environment and escape poverty]. September 22, 2024.
http://www.chinadevelopment.com.cn/news/zj/2024/09/1912746.shtml
2 Kazan-Allen, L. Opposition to Asbestos Use Accelerates – Even in China. October 11, 2023.
http://www.ibasecretariat.org/lka-opposition-to-asbestos-use-accelerates-even-in-china.php
Kazan-Allen, L. Asbestos Hypocrites: Who? Where? How? September 4, 2024.
http://ibasecretariat.org/lka-blogzxa226.php
3 Burden of malignant mesothelioma in China during 1990–2019 and the projections through 2029. September 2024.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667005424000292
4 致癌物“石棉”，潜伏期可达20年，你用过的这些物品可能都有 [The first-class carcinogen “asbestos,” has an incubation period of up to 20 years, and may have been in items you have used]. August 5, 2023.https://www.163.com/dy/article/IB2GNBPT05148PF4.html
5 工业和信息化部答“长期接触石棉建材等制品会致癌？”问题 [The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology answers the question “Will long-term exposure to asbestos building materials and other products cause cancer?]. August 4, 2023.
https://www.gov.cn/hudong/202308/content_6896551.htm
