Toxic legacy of economic growth

  • Published
  • comments

China has captured chunks of the global economy, creating jobs for millions. But doing things cheaply has come at a cost, with health and environmental issues on the rise along with economic growth.

Numerous denim factories have created jobs in the town of Xintiang - but residents say they have also polluted some of the town's rivers.

In Xinglong in the south, resident Cao Jiangang is convinced that factories there are to blame for his 47-year-old mother's liver cancer.

China's next leaders are inheriting a toxic legacy. They have plans for cleaner growth, but that will be slower and more expensive. Here's my report:

Media caption,

What is the environmenal toll of China's economic growth?