Chinese state media are accusing an American oil company of lacking basic social responsibility in its handling of an oil spill in Bohai Bay, off China's northeast coast. The company, ConocoPhillips China, said it expected to complete a shutdown of its operations in the bay by the end of Monday, complying with an order issued by Chinese regulators on Friday. But it faces a lawsuit from government agencies and a barrage of media criticism, including charges it violated operating rules and lied about the state of the oil leak.
The company reported Wednesday that it had met an August 31 deadline for fully halting the leakage from the floor of the bay and completing a clean-up. But regulators detected continued leakage after the deadline and ordered a shutdown in operations.