By Hu Meidong in Fujian and Chen Jia in Beijing (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-12-15 11:02

Fifty-four of the 64 speakers who got a chance to air their views on the second day of a two-day public forum on Friday said they opposed the building of a chemical plant in the city of Xiamen, Fujian Province.

A total of 107 people took part in Friday's event, following 99 who were present on Thursday.

Of the 121 people who addressed the forum over the two days, just 15 came out in support of the idea to build an industrial zone focused on the chemical industry in the city's Haicang district.

The authorities invited the public to discuss the proposed development in a bid to find a way to balance the economic development of the area with the need protect the environment.

"Public opinion will be a key factor in the decision-making process and their views will form part of an overall assessment to ensure we make an informed judgment," a Xiamen government official who asked not to be named said.

"We have to take an objective stance on the PX project, as it is an important material for industrial production," he said.

The 10.8 billion yuan ($1.46 billion) chemical plant, which was to be built 16 km from the city center, was put on hold in May after locals expressed concern over the amount of pollution it would create.

The authorities decided to hold the public forum following the publication on Wednesday of an environmental assessment report by the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES).

Shu Jianmin, vice-dean of the CRAES, said since being appointed the Xiamen government to write the report, the academy had received more than 3,000 e-mails and 2,000 phone calls from members of the public.

He promised the academy will respond as quickly as possible.

"Government bodies should listen to experts and the public before making decisions on projects like this," Zhu Xingxiang, head of the department for environmental impact assessment under the State Environmental Protection Administration, said.