China 'scraps' Shifang plant after violent protests

Plans to build a copper alloy plant in Sichuan province have been scrapped following violent protests by residents, a Chinese official says. Officials in Shifang posted a statement on the city's Twitter-like Weibo account on Tuesday evening announcing the move. "Shifang will not build this project henceforth," Shifang Communist Party head Li Chengjing said in the post. The decision was made in response to public concerns, he added. Sichuan Hongda, the company building the plant, said in a notice posted on the Shanghai Stock Exchange website that it had stopped construction after receiving a notice from the Shifang city government. The plant would have boosted the city's economy and created jobs to aid recovery from the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, said Mr Li in the statement. But he acknowledged that authorities had failed to inform the public about the project, resulting in a lack of understanding and support. The move came after protests on Sunday and Monday in Shifang involving large crowds of residents. Local authorities said hundreds of residents and students were involved in the protests, while state-run Global Times, quoting an unnamed police officer, said "several thousand" took part. Both police and residents were injured in the clashes as bottles were thrown and cars damaged, they said. A city government notice on Wednesday said that of the 27 people who were taken away, six remained in detention and the rest had been released. "The remaining 21 people, after receiving criticism and education and repenting for their mistakes, were released at 11p.m. on 3 July," the government said on Wednesday.