The root cause is focusing on economical development over everything else, including staggering inequality, pollution, and others.<p>The central governments&#x27; inability to enforce local municipalities to do whatever they want, is actually result of the shifting political structure from a single autocratic ruler during Mao&#x27;s era to a more technocratic&#x2F;autonomous style of ruling. This is a good thing, although it does create inefficiencies when central government interests conflict with local ones.