generalspeaking

China's Censoring Culture

China did the right thing in cancelling flights, ordering fishing boats to remain in dock, and evacuating 600,000 people from the coast as Typhoon Muifa, feared to be "the worst storm in Shanghai's history" bore down. There were concerns over what might occur to the glass in the city's 5,000 skyscrapers. As good fortune had it, the storm skirted the coast, causing little damage.

But that was nonetheless exquisitely responsible proactive decision-making from the Chinese government as their officials swung into action to avoid tragedy.

Contrast that to the outcome of government secrecy that usually prevails when a disaster of one kind or another is not diverted because of the unexpectedness of its nature or as the result of incapacity of reaction, or the direct result of inferior workmanship related to bad planning and construction. As, for example, two bullet trains smashing into one another on a viaduct.

In an industry that China is inordinately proud of, where China planned to sell its rail technology to Britain, the United States, Malaysia and Brazil, they're scratching that one off the agenda now. The accident having occurred as a direct result of substandard cement, hasty training, shoddy construction and institutionalized graft.

So there is a hushed conversation going on now among some members of the public who argue that their nation's mad rush to development and extensive exportation of manufactured goods has cut corners, cost lives, ruined the environment, all the while the state is refusing to recognize and admit that it is mired in corruption and greed, permitting its plans to overtake caution and responsibility.

The latest cover-up is of a nuclear mishap which occurred at a top-secret naval dockyard in the northeast of the country, and which was revealed in late July. Except that, according to official documents, and authorities and news organizations heeding the government's directives, it never occurred. An unfortunate figment of some news agency's initial reportage, since removed.

A huge vessel with a reactor one-sixth the size of a nuclear power plant suffered a radiation leak as technicians installed an electronic system on board the Type 094 Jin-class nuclear submarine. The military sealed off the dockyard area and imposed a ban on any news according to the blogging community.

South Korea is outraged, feeling it is their right to know about any suspected radiation leaks that might impact on their environment, as a near geographic neighbour. Japan, which was forced to divulge to its neighbours and the world at large its own radiation catastrophe with the melt-down of several of its reactors at Fukushima is not amused.

Labels: China, Technology, Troublespots

posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, August 09, 2011