China has a State Environmental Protection Agency. In the past it has mostly turned a blind eye to the lucrative export business that drives China’s economy and the environmental impact of these businesses on the environment. Last week the SEPA put out a notice to inform the public that it will be cracking down and providing stricter enforcement on the standards that it has already in place.

With anticipation for the Beijing Olympics growing, and with the public becoming more and more environmentally aware, all eyes are turning to China to see how it will balance the impact of the massive sporting even on the environment.

The SEPA and the People’s Congress are combining efforts to crack down on exporters who have been taking advantage of China’s lax enforcement policy. Most drastically, the People’s Congress recently passed new rules that enable exporter’s license to be revoked if they do not conform to the regulated energy standards.

Given the People’s Congress’ emphasis on the common good, a hallmark of communist thought, this change in direction is hardly surprising. Although it may catch foreign exporters and importers off guard, the idea that if the environment is harmed all the people will suffer necessarily creates an imperative for action by a communistic government body.