"Behind Tianjin Blasts, Flouted Regulations and Corruption"

"TIANJIN, China — One partner was the son of a local police chief, the other an executive at a state-run chemicals firm. After meeting at a dinner party, they started a company here to handle the export of the most dangerous chemicals made in China, promising 'outstanding service' and 'good results.'

Within two years, Rui Hai International Logistics had built a reputation as the go-to place for businesses looking to ship hazardous materials to customers abroad, a niche market that had been dominated by sluggish state enterprises.

Rui Hai offered lower prices, a no-hassle approach to paperwork and quick government approvals. Business was brisk. It seemed like another success story for the Binhai New Area, a thriving economic development zone established here by the ruling Communist Party around one of China’s busiest seaports."

Andrew Jacobs, Javier C. Hernández, and Chris Buckley report for the New York Times August 30, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"China To Relocate Almost 1,000 Chemical Plants in Wake of Tianjin Blasts" (Guardian)