Dr. Zhouying Jin, representing Rusong Wang, Chair of the Beijing Node, read the report he had prepared: Report from the Chinese Node.

Four workshops and two meeting of the Node occurred in 1998. The Node will seek additional funding, will continue the research for MP, environmental security, editing and publishing the newsletter, and translating some of the Sate of the Futures reports into Chinese and distribute.

Zhouying brought up that the road map to sustainable development in China has several problems including strategy, institutional, and economic. Jin proposed having case studies within different regions, addressing the 15 Issues and Opportunities - while changing them for the Chinese situation and changing the order of priorities. Jerry asked about the energy situation. Jin said that the most important issues are population quality and unemployment. There are two different views in China on energy: one continues to see coal as the main source for producing energy (first energy), while the other opinion is to see natural gas as the main source for the future. Bruce noted that a study is underway in London on relationship of Asthma and cars pollution. The pollution damages will show up as a disaster in retrospect, hence we should collect information now. Jerry suggested that Rusong Wang and Jin coordinate on the Chinese implications of the World Water Commission's Scenarios and the relationships with energy issues.

Zhouying noted that Beijing City publicizes the pollution situation weekly, so the public is aware. A lot of pollution is made by small, town enterprises. They are closed down but often reopen quickly without solving the problem. Hazel Henderson informed the group that a meeting on the environment is planned in Shanghai and suggested that we keep in touch and see what should be done. In the context of water issues: Is their Institute [Chinese Academy of Social Science] working on that, on how to resolve the whole water system? Zhouying: There are a lot of water problems: low efficiency in water use, insufficient capital investment, irrational water utilization and improper proportion to agriculture, etc. However, during the past several decades, China has focused on water engineering and technological solving. The water crisis were not been paid great attention at higher level, and lack of macro management. China need converting the mode of water exploitation and utilization, setting the mode of water management for sustainable development, applying more proper techniques to improve water use efficiency. Zhouying reminded the group that China supports itself; it is OUR problem with, or without external aid, and we have to solve it. Over 300 cities in China have water pollution. Bond issue: Huang Pu River cleanup.

Return to the Planning Committee Meeting minutes