关注社会:昆明炼化厂项目再次引发抗议

Protests against a planned oil refinery and petrochemicals facility broke out in southwest China for the second time this month, as pressure mounted on local leaders over environmental effects of the project.

中国西南部的昆明市本月以来第二次爆发了针对一个炼化厂项目的抗议活动，当地官员在该项目的环境影响方面承受的压力进一步增大。

The demonstration on Thursday in the city of Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, marks the second sizable protest there since May 4. Local activists are demanding that officials scrap plans to produce the chemical paraxylene, known as PX, as part of the refinery under construction nearby. Many are outraged that local officials won't release the results of an environmental-impact assessment of the project, according to activists and local media.

周四的抗议是5月4日以来发生在云南省省会昆明的第二起规模较大的抗议活动。当地的活动人士要求政府放弃在附近在建的炼化厂中生产化学品对二甲苯(PX)的计划。据活动人士和当地媒体说，许多人对当地官员不愿公布该项目的环境影响评估结果感到不满。

Photos posted to China's Sina Weibo microblogging service showed what appeared to be hundreds of protesters marching through downtown city streets on Thursday. Some carried signs appealing directly to Yunnan's provincial Communist Party chief, Qin Guangrong. The protests appeared to be peaceful.

新浪微博上发布的照片显示，约有数百人周四在昆明市中心的街头游行。一些人举着标语直接向云南省委书记秦光荣表达诉求。抗议似乎是和平的。

'We should try and protect our homeland,' said Guo Jun, a local Kunming university student who took part in Thursday's demonstrations despite warnings from professors not to. Repeated phone calls to government offices in Kunming rang unanswered.

昆明的大学生郭俊（音）不顾老师的警告参加了周四的抗议活动。郭俊说，我们应该努力保护我们的家园。记者多次致电昆明的政府办公室，但无人应答。

Production of PX in proximity to urban centers is of particular concern for those who fear industrial mishaps at the facilities could put the health of local residents and the environment at risk.

在市中心附近生产对二甲苯令一些人格外担心，他们认为，工厂的工业事故可能危及当地居民的健康和环境。

Kunming's mayor, Li Wenrong, last week promised to take opposition against the planned petrochemical facility into account, even pledging to scrap the project if a majority of residents expressed opposition.

昆明市市长李文荣上周承诺，将认真考虑群众对炼化厂项目的反对意见，甚至表示，如果大多数居民反对就放弃这个项目。

Opposition to the project has so far largely targeted the planned petrochemcials facility, though some residents say they oppose the oil refinery as well being in such close proximity to the city.

目前为止，抗议主要针对石化厂项目，不过一些居民说，他们也反对炼油厂项目，因为它离市区太近了。

PX production is booming in China. The chemical is a critical building block in the production of textiles and plastics, and industry advocates say under normal conditions it can be produced safely and without threat to humans.

中国生产对二甲苯的规模正日益扩大。这种化学品是生产纺织品和塑料的重要原料。行业维权人士说，在正常情况下，对二甲苯的生产是安全的，不会对人造成威胁。

But its production has repeatedly come under fire in recent years from local residents in multiple Chinese cities who fear it will damage their health as well as the environment. Following protests in 2007 in the eastern city of Xiamen, local officials pledged to move a planned PX plant away from the popular tourist town.

但近年来，对二甲苯的生产在中国多个城市一再受到民众炮轰，人们担心这会损害身体健康并污染环境。2007年，中国东部热门旅游城市厦门的一个对二甲苯项目引发抗议，之后当地官员承诺项目迁址。

Similarly, in 2011, officials promised to shut a plant in the northeast city of Dalian after more than 10,000 people took to the streets in protest of PX production there. State media reported in December that relocation work for the Dalian plant was still under way.

同样，2011年中国东北城市大连发起了反对在该市生产对二甲苯的万人大游行，官员后来承诺会关闭相关工厂。去年12月，中国国有媒体报道称，大连对二甲苯工厂的迁址工作还在进行中。

Thursday's protests in Kunming were smaller than many environmental protests elsewhere.

相比中国其它城市的很多环保抗议活动，昆明周四的抗议规模较小。

Concerns over transparency and locating the planned refinery so close to the city underpin resistance in Kunming. Residents have demanded officials release results of a government-required environmental impact assessment. Others have called for third-party groups to be allowed to conduct an independent assessment of the planned refinery, which has already been approved by China's National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planning body.

对项目信息透明度的担忧以及炼油厂拟建厂址毗邻昆明均增加了该项目的阻力。当地居民要求官员公布政府规定的环境影响评估结果。还有居民呼吁，应允许第三方组织就这个炼油厂项目展开独立评估。该项目已经得到了中国最高经济规划部门国家发展和改革委员会的批准。

China National Petroleum Corp. is responsible for building the refinery, which will have a capacity of processing 200,000 barrels of crude each day. Another company, Yuntianhua Group, is responsible for the related petrochemicals facility.

这个炼油厂由中国石油天然气集团公司(China National Petroleum Corp.)负责承建，建成后日炼油量可达20万桶。云天化集团(Yuntianhua Group)负责承建相关石化设施。

A senior executive from Yuntianhua said last week that feasibility studies were continuing and that no final decision on which chemicals to produce had been made. Government documents and earlier state-media reports indicated the facility would produce PX.

云天化集团一位高管上周说，正在进行可行性研究，还没有最终决定到底生产哪种化学品。政府文件和早前的国有媒体报道均表明，这个项目生产的是对二甲苯。

The refinery is a significant piece of infrastructure as China looks to boost availability of gasoline and other refined oil products across the less developed southwestern portion of the country.

中国目前着眼于在欠发达的西南地区增加汽油和其它成品油供应，而炼油厂是基础设施的重要组成部分。