The city of Shangqiu in central China's Henan Province is still polluting the Huaihe River. The river is a famous waterway in central and east China, and it runs through several provinces. The Beijing-based newspaper Workers ' Daily reported that inside Shangqiu, several branches of the Huaihe were full of black water and dead fish. Tests found pollutants in these branches surpassed national standards, sending a warning signal that waters in Huaihe's upper reaches could be worse.

The government had ordered the closure of all plants polluting the river by the end of 1997. Workers ' Daily blamed enterprises in Shangqiu for putting short-term profits before the law and state policy, noting that five firms were dumping wastewater into the Huaihe. Shangqiu's Linhe Paper-Making Plant, one of the polluting units which should have been closed is still in operation, the newspaper said.