Water Sector Urged to Tap Foreign InvestmentChina is expected to allow foreign investors into its water infrastructure to tackle shortages that could get worse in the future, according to Thursday's Chinadaily.Previously, the sector has been a State monopoly. A foreign-owned water project called Vivendi Waterworks will begin supplying tap water in Chengdu, capital of southwest Sichuan province, in early 2002. Similar foreign-funded projects are under way in the cities of Tianjin and Beijing, the paper said. China badly needs advanced water treatment technology, new management structures and more capital, said Wang Yuqing, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration. The country has long had serious water shortages. There is only 2,400 cubic meters of water per person, one fourth of the world's average level. Besides, low water prices and poor treatment facilities have aggravated the problems. |
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