China’s Next Environmental Challenge Is Hard to See

China has made strides in reducing pollutants whose harmful effects are immediate and visible to the eye. For example, the Chinese government managed to reduce air pollution in Beijing, as measured in atmospheric particulate matter, by 35% within only four years. Since the passing of the 2015 Environmental Protection Law, the Chinese government has also been cracking down on highly polluting factories more decisively than in the past. However, China’s environmental regulation record is poor when it comes to chemicals whose harmful effects on humans and the environment are more complex and long-term. Greenpeace estimates that half of the 45,000 chemicals currently in use in China...