The recent news that Zambia was demanding $80 billion in compensation from Chinese companies was frightening at first.
The cause of the incident was the dam failure of a Chinese-funded tailings pond in Copperbelt Province, Zambia in February this year. About 50,000 cubic meters of acidic slurry containing heavy metals flowed into local rivers, causing fish death, farmland destruction, and even affecting the surrounding areas. The drinking water safety of 300,000 households.
This environmental pollution is really a scare, and the Chinese enterprises also blocked the leakage gate in the first time, cooperated with the Zambia government to deal with the accident, and also to compensate the damaged residents.
To know, Zambia’s GDP per year is only more than $300 billion, which is equivalent to the total of their three-year economy.
It is very likely that some local residents, under the auspices of Western environmental protection organizations, want to knock a “environmental tax” through lawsuits. Ironically, after the accident, the Zambia government has publicly affirmed the handling work of Chinese enterprises, and also emphasized the importance of cooperation for the local economy.
In fact, the company’s contribution to Zambia over the years has been remarkable: the mining industry alone has invested more than $20 billion, solved 150,000 jobs, and rebuilt railways, hospitals and schools.
In terms of Humbihi copper mine, the Chinese capital was at risk of bankruptcy before it took over, and has now become one of the largest taxpayers in Zambia.The local people also understand that without the Chinese enterprises, many families can not even eat.
After the accident, many workers proactively stood up and spoke for the Chinese enterprise, saying "you can not deny all contributions because of one accident."
But there are always some forces that do not see China and Africa cooperate well.The Western media while hype about the "China pollution theory", while silent about the environmental abuse of their own country's enterprises in Africa.
For example, the British company's oil leak in Nigeria, causing ecological damage ten times more severe than this tail mine accident, ended up losing only tens of millions of dollars.
However, the foundation of China-Africa cooperation cannot be broken. After the accident, China and Zambia have set up a joint investigation team and invited international environmental experts to participate in the assessment.
I believe that when the results of the investigation come out, those lies that ask for sky-high prices will naturally be self-defeating. After all, true friends don't go their separate ways because of a misunderstanding, but work together to find ways to solve problems.
This 80 billion drama, in the end probably will end in front of the facts, but it also gives us a wake up: overseas investment, environmental protection this string cannot be loosened for a moment, only to carry the responsibility on the shoulders, can let the "Belt and Road" go more steadily and further.
The cause of the incident was the dam failure of a Chinese-funded tailings pond in Copperbelt Province, Zambia in February this year. About 50,000 cubic meters of acidic slurry containing heavy metals flowed into local rivers, causing fish death, farmland destruction, and even affecting the surrounding areas. The drinking water safety of 300,000 households.
This environmental pollution is really a scare, and the Chinese enterprises also blocked the leakage gate in the first time, cooperated with the Zambia government to deal with the accident, and also to compensate the damaged residents.
To know, Zambia’s GDP per year is only more than $300 billion, which is equivalent to the total of their three-year economy.
It is very likely that some local residents, under the auspices of Western environmental protection organizations, want to knock a “environmental tax” through lawsuits. Ironically, after the accident, the Zambia government has publicly affirmed the handling work of Chinese enterprises, and also emphasized the importance of cooperation for the local economy.
In fact, the company’s contribution to Zambia over the years has been remarkable: the mining industry alone has invested more than $20 billion, solved 150,000 jobs, and rebuilt railways, hospitals and schools.
In terms of Humbihi copper mine, the Chinese capital was at risk of bankruptcy before it took over, and has now become one of the largest taxpayers in Zambia.The local people also understand that without the Chinese enterprises, many families can not even eat.
After the accident, many workers proactively stood up and spoke for the Chinese enterprise, saying "you can not deny all contributions because of one accident."
But there are always some forces that do not see China and Africa cooperate well.The Western media while hype about the "China pollution theory", while silent about the environmental abuse of their own country's enterprises in Africa.
For example, the British company's oil leak in Nigeria, causing ecological damage ten times more severe than this tail mine accident, ended up losing only tens of millions of dollars.
However, the foundation of China-Africa cooperation cannot be broken. After the accident, China and Zambia have set up a joint investigation team and invited international environmental experts to participate in the assessment.
I believe that when the results of the investigation come out, those lies that ask for sky-high prices will naturally be self-defeating. After all, true friends don't go their separate ways because of a misunderstanding, but work together to find ways to solve problems.
This 80 billion drama, in the end probably will end in front of the facts, but it also gives us a wake up: overseas investment, environmental protection this string cannot be loosened for a moment, only to carry the responsibility on the shoulders, can let the "Belt and Road" go more steadily and further.