OREANDA-NEWS. October 04, 2011. China ordered a nationwide safety and environmental check over the production of potentially dangerous chemicals after protests forced the closure of a controversial chemical plant in the country last month.

All producers of potentially dangerous chemicals like paraxylene (PX) and the owners of plants that produce such chemicals must immediately conduct full self-inspections and eliminate hidden risks in a timely manner, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, in an urgent circular.

"Those manufacturers that can not rectify their problems must suspend production at once," said the NDRC.

Local authorities must also conduct special inspections on manufacturers, according to the circular, which was jointly issued by the NDRC and four other ministries, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The move came after authorities ordered a PX plant in northeast China's city of Dalian to halt production last month, following protests by local residents demanding that the plant be relocated over safety concerns.

More than ten thousand Dalian residents took to the streets after large waves whipped up by tropical storm Muifa breached a dike near the Dalian Fujia Chemical Plant in August, giving rise to fears that a flood could damage the plant and cause it to release toxic chemicals.

The incident "sparked concerns from some Dalian citizens over the PX project and triggered an incident involving mass participation," said the circular.

Some enterprises ignored safety management in the production of dangerous chemicals in recent years and a series of accidents occurred, "making a negative impact on society and leading to mass incidents if not tackled properly," it said.

It urged local governments and enterprises producing dangerous chemicals to make emergency response plans to guard against accidents and natural disasters.

The government should strictly examine construction projects involving hazardous chemicals production in terms of safety, environment and land use before approving them, said the circular.

In 2007, thousands of residents protested against the construction of a multi-million-dollar PX plant over health concerns in east China's city of Xiamen and forced the plant to be relocated.