About 1,000 factories producing dangerous chemicals or explosives face closure if they fail to obtain new licenses.

Plants in Guangdong Province  will be ordered to shut down or suspend operations if they do not get work safety licences by Friday.

Under a new scheme introduced by the State Administration of Work Safety, all factories nationwide producing chemicals or explosives must submit work safety reform plans to their local government and apply for renewed licences by the end of the week.

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