Considering that a lot of seed money went to environmental organizations in the 1970s, originating with the KGB, and with the intention of hobbling Western Industry, to organizations that later became Litigation 'superpowers' (like Greenpeace and the Sierra Club), it is no surprise that the Chinese would want to keep that going.
Those groups, in turn, sue the EPA and get massive amounts of settlement money from the public coffers to continue operations while pushing for more restrictions.
It is often the challenge of dealing with moving target emissions and pollution standards advocated by such groups that has led to the offshoring of much of what would have been American Manufacturing capability (and jobs).
The ROI for opposing powers is substantial, as China has benefited from not only a significant manufacturing boost but the plans, designs, and specs on everything it has manufactured.
This (and the use of cheap >ahem, slave< labor) has made the CCP a manufacturing and economic superpower, while our own mine face to finished product capabilities have been severely curtailed.
