BASF AG, the world's largest chemical producer, and Datang International Power Generation Co obtained initial environmental approval to build plants in China, the government said.

BASF has been permitted "in principle" to build a factory producing MDI at Chongqing in western China, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Monday. Datang Power has been granted approval to build a plant in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to turn coal to 4 billion cubic meters of gas a year, it said.

(Shanghai Daily January 14, 2009)