Beijing demolition to curb population won't work, say opponents

Xie Zhongchao, a dealer at an open-air scrap market on the northern outskirts of Beijing, is at a loss when asked what he will do after the site is soon demolished.

"What have we done wrong to deserve this and who is going to recycle the tonnes of scrap?" asked Xie, pointing at piles of wood, used cartons and water bottles piled high at the site in Dongsanqi village.

Xie, who is in his early 30s, has lived in Beijing for more than 10 years and for the past three he has been selling scrap wood for recycling. But he will soon be out of a job as the market has been earmarked for demolition, along with several others in the capital, as part of a municipal government plan to rein in population growth.

One part of the scheme involves phasing out what are described as "low-end industries", such as waste recycling, that attract migrant workers to the city.

Speaking at the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, which began last Thursday, Beijing mayor Wang Anshun stressed the urgent need to control the capital's rising population.

This was on top of a pledge he made late last month to give population control top priority amid deteriorating pollution, worsening traffic congestion and water shortages.