China’s Xi Intervenes to Punish Local Officials for Killing Trees

(Bloomberg) -- China punished and demoted 10 officials in the southern city of Guangzhou after thousands of banyan trees were cut down or uprooted by the local government, following a rare personal intervention made by President Xi Jinping. 

Li Xi, party chief of Guangdong province, told local cadres that a spate of tree destruction in the provincial capital since late 2020 has “severely damaged natural ecology” and “hurt people’s fond memories” of the city, leading to “irreversible losses.” He spoke at a meeting held on Sunday, according to a report by the official Southern Daily. 

Li indicated that the president had directly expressed displeasure with the situation. While ordering officials to rectify the tree issue, Li urged them to closely study Xi’s instructions and “deeply comprehend” his special care for the city and province.

For years, Xi has been building his image as a champion of green causes, expressed in his edict that “green mountains are gold mountains and silver mountains.” He wants China to become an “eco-civilization” where humans live in harmony with nature. That Xi commented directly on a relatively minor city-level issue indicates the close attention he’s paying to environmental matters. 

Over 4,000 trees in Guangzhou were approved to be bulldozed and another 4,000 to be uprooted and relocated as part of efforts to “upgrade roadside afforestation” and “renovate urban parks,” according to data published by the city’s government agencies. The authorities didn’t respond to opposition from local residents until July. Criticism of the plan gained considerable attention on social media.

Lin Daoping, former vice mayor of Guangzhou who was in charge of forestry issues, was removed from office and given a severe intra-party reprimand, according to a statement from China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Four other officials, including the current and former directors of the forestry bureau, were also sacked. 

“We need to deeply reflect the root cause of the problem in Guangzhou,” Li said at the meeting with party cadres, urging them to “continue to improve political judgment” and “fend off political risks.”

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With assistance from Bloomberg