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How a little Chinese island rose to global chemical dominance
A parable of China’s industrial supremacy.
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China's dominance in chemicals is just one facet of its sprawling industrial base, as seen here in Baotou's collection of steel mills, chemical factories and rare earth refineries.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
The Economist
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To catch a glimpse of China’s industrial heft, visit Changxing Island in the country’s north-east. There, jutting into the Bohai Sea, is one piece of the machine: a specialised petrochemical plant that opened in 2012 and has grown relentlessly ever since. It represents, in condensed form, the powerful mixture that has fuelled China’s dominance of global manufacturing: policy directives, state support, local incentives and restless entrepreneurs.
For the rest of the world it is also a cautionary tale.
