In recent years, the Chinese authorities have been setting up “coal-free zones” in regions like Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei to reduce smog and air pollution. They have also been promoting an energy policy of switching from coal to gas. Recently, the authorities in Xingtai, Hebei, sealed off a rural household’s wood-burning stove and cut off the gas supply to the villager’s home, citing the reason of preventing air pollution. This incident has sparked public attention.
On December 15th, a netizen posted a video claiming that in Xingtai City, Xingtai County, Hebei Province, a wood-burning stove in a villager’s home was sealed off by a gas company, causing concern.
According to the video posted by the netizen, a wood-burning stove in the villager’s home was sealed off by Zhongyu Gas Co., Ltd. in Xingtai County, indicating that the company had suspended gas supply to the user. This means that the basic living of this villager has been affected.
When contacted by the “Xiaoxiang Morning News,” an employee of Zhongyu Gas Co., Ltd. stated that the seal was placed in August this year. At that time, during a household inspection, the company found safety hazards with the user’s gas pipeline, heating gasification furnace, and gas stove all in the same room.
Regarding why the wood-burning stove in the villager’s home was sealed off, an informant told “Huashang News – Dafeng News,” “I asked the gas company this morning, and they said it was the power given to them by regulations. Normally, only the government enforcement department can seal it off. I think they are forcing villagers to use their natural gas to generate revenue and make money from the villagers.”
The informant believes that such forced enforcement raises questions: “Only the government enforcement department (has the right) to tell villagers that, to prevent air pollution, they cannot use wood-burning stoves and can only use natural gas. Their gas company is doing the government’s work. Why does the gas company have the authority to seal off a villager’s wood-burning stove?”
Close to noon on the 15th, the informant told the media that the villager had deleted the video he posted, “presumably by local pressure.”
The above information has sparked discussions among netizens.
Some netizens commented, “The gas company not only stopped supplying gas to this family but also sealed off their wood-burning stove? This company is really bold, managing gas and stopping violations, can they also control wood-burning stoves? In the past, there were electricity overloads, road bullies, and material bullies. Now we have a gas bully, and it can even enforce the law across industries? The gas bully! Absolutely domineering!”
“It’s ridiculous that the gas company can seal off the stove. If there is a danger, you can stop their gas supply, why seal off someone’s stove? Arbitrary law enforcement, anyone can bully ordinary people. The regulatory department should go see how local governments treat people, either idle or always profiting.”
“It’s really absurd, you can stop the gas supply, but sealing off the wood-burning stove? The Kitchen God will be angry! If the gas company doesn’t make money, no one will care what the rural people burn.”
Others expressed, “In rural areas, stoves have been used for thousands of years, providing indoor heating and warmth in winter without environmental pollution issues. Respecting the customs and traditions of the rural people is a form of respect for those who have raised the entire population.”
In fact, as early as 2015, Hebei Province began implementing the “extinguishing fires and sealing stoves” policy for the local residents under the pretext of “air pollution.”
The Chinese authorities, in order to prevent embarrassing haze situations during the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in 2015, required Beijing and six surrounding provinces and municipalities to implement “strengthened emission reduction” from August 28 to September 4, 2015, to ensure a “blue sky” during the parade.
The official Weibo account of “Yanzhao Metropolis Daily” had once released news about local authorities implementing a “restriction on cooking” to reduce air pollution, which caught the attention of many mainland Chinese netizens.
According to official media reports, in preparation for the upcoming parade and the World Athletics Championships, Beijing and surrounding cities have implemented traffic restrictions, with some small counties now also enforcing odd-and-even license plate restrictions. “Restrictions are one thing, but in Anxin County, Baoding City, they even restrict cooking… They sealed off the stoves, will they control people’s meals too?” Images posted showed seals blocking two stoves.
In recent years, China has been facing a shortage of natural gas. However, since the 2000s, the Chinese authorities have been establishing “coal-free zones” in regions like Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei and strongly promoting the “coal-to-gas” policy to reduce haze and air pollution.
According to reports by Chinese media, 80% of coal use for heating in rural areas of Hebei Province is expected to be impacted the most by the “coal-to-gas” policy. Provincial authorities in Hebei mandated the complete prohibition of scattered coal burning in rural areas from October 2017 to 2020.
Some opinions believe that without government subsidies, rural residents in Hebei cannot afford the heating costs after switching from coal to gas during the winter.
As reported by Sohu, in 2017 as the heating season began, the authorities’ aggressive promotion of the “coal-to-gas” policy amid rising natural gas prices and the ban on coal burning led to a gas shortage, causing heating crises in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region as well as Shanxi, Shandong, and Henan.