Serbia is now emerging as an example of environmental hazards of Chinese investments

The Taiwan Times has claimed that Serbia is a nation where the damage caused to the environment due to the Chinese investment is very much evident.

Serbia, which is a nation blessed with an abundance of natural resources, has witnessed a spike in Chinese investments since 2010.

The pollution generated by the Chinese owned mill in Smederevo has affected many, and caught the attention of the local populace, reports the news portal.

In August 2020, hundreds of people protested in Smederevo against the pollution emitted from the local steel plant, Zelezara, reports The Taiwan Times.

Organizers claimed that the facility was owned by China based HBIS, and was breaking the law. Taking cognizance of the malpractice being followed by the mill, the European Division of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Bioethics underlined that ore precipitation, black and red in colour could be seen in the villages around the steel plant in Smederevo, the news portal reported.

It stated that this was in complete violation of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, as well as other conventions on human rights to which Serbia was a signatory, the news portal reported.

Also voicing their concern on the issue of environmental degradation, a group of MEPs, recently requested the European Commission to take note of the Chinese investments in the field of heavy industry in Serbia, especially in ironworks, coal mines and tyre factories, because these too have negative consequences on the environment, it said.

The article said in times of Climate Change, one cannot but weigh the pros and cons of investments flowing from a country as imperialistic as China, to be responsible as global citizens and to pass on a salubrious environment to our posterity.