Last year Hong Kong lobbyists dislodged the largest foreign joint venture in China, a US$5 billion oil refinery that would have the capacity to process 300,000 barrels of oil a day. Sinopec and Kuwait gave in to environmental concerns about pollutants that would make their way to Hong Kong, as well as the destruction of unique wetlands from which the residents had already been relocated (Guardian). The provincial government had also given its go-ahead for the project, but backtracked because the investment flew in the face of Guangdong’s attempt to upgrade its investment environment from sneaker manufacturer to software outsourcing base. According to the Shanghai Business Review, the project has found a new home on an island off the coast of Guangdong called Donghai, and will now cost US$9 billion. The project should start construction in 2010. The move certainly gives China some credibility that some of its interests lay in preserving its environment.