East China's Shandong province, one of the country's fairly developed coastal regions, plans to shut down 23 heavily polluting factories next year.

Zhao Kezhi, vice-governor of the province, said Shandong is resolved to deal with pollution, long a thorny problem for the region's economic development.

Last year, Shandong shut down all straw pulp production lines of paper manufacturers with annual production up to 20,000 tons.

Next year, another eight paper manufacturers of unstable output are expected to be shut down by the end of June. And some 15 alcohol production and cement lines with annual output less than 100,000 tons are, too, to close by the end of next December.

According to the provincial vice-governor, this campaign is in compliance with the provincial plan of economic restructuring to eliminate some outdated technology and equipment so as to improve the air and water quality of the region.

This would be the last campaign in the province to close major polluters, Zhao said. Later the province will guide such factories and plants in retooling themselves by adopting emission control regulations.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2002)