Smog and a hard place: China regions caught between economic woes and pollution war by www.expertcommodity.com Amid a slowing economy and a slew of mixed signals from the environment ministry, China's embattled local governments are facing a dilemma: do they go all out to curb smog this winter, or do their best to keep factories humming? China has promised to put an end to a "growth at all costs" economic model, which has blackened its skies and contaminated large stretches of its water and soil. The government just embarked on another winter campaign against polluters in a dozen smog-prone provinces and regions. Environmental compliance has become a key test of political loyalty among local officials, but this year they must plot a course that will also keep the economy on track. That could be tricky, as China's third-quarter growth is at its slowest since the global financial crisis a fact Beijing has acknowledged. "Local governments in the pollut...
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