China Snow Crisis Shows Vulnerability
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Business/BusinessTravel/wireStory?id=4214252Impact of China's Snow Crisis Spreads, Highlighting Weaknesses of Booming Economy
By ELAINE KURTENBACH and WILLIAM FOREMAN Associated Press WritersSHANGHAI, China Jan 30, 2008 (AP)
China's worst winter storms in five decades have highlighted the vulnerabilities of the country's booming economy, bringing transportation and much industry to a halt and prompting the government to deploy nearly 500,000 army troops to assist troubled areas Wednesday.
The remains of an outdoor market are seen after it collapsed following a heavy snowfall in Loudi, in central China's Hunan province, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2008. China struggled Wednesday to cope with its worst winter storms in five decades, with transportation snarled and cities paralyzed, and more bad weather forecast. Snow and ice storms have struck east, central and southern China for more than two weeks, causing dozens of deaths, collapsing buildings and forcing the closure of highways and airports. (AP Photo/EyePress)
Snow and ice storms in east, central and southern China at no more than a foot of snow overall in some places have overloaded businesses, the electricity grid and other systems that normally keep the economy ticking at double-digit rates. The weather was unusual for those regions, and they were ill-equipped to handle it.
China's already overburdened railways, coupled with an incomplete road system, buckled under the added pressure as tens of millions of Chinese were on the move for the Lunar New Year one of the world's biggest annual mass movements of humanity.
Before the storms, railway officials estimated a record 178.6 million people more than the population of Russia would travel by train for the holiday, which begins Feb. 7.
The complications illustrate the limitations China faces, despite 30 years of economic reforms that have turned it into an export juggernaut, with economic growth forecast at more than 10 percent this year.
China's antiquated and inefficient power grid, which is powered largely by coal, ground to a near halt, plunging many cities into darknessTop of Form
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Dozens of factories were closed, with mining and metals companies suffering from severe power shortages. The storms have caused economic losses of $3 billion since they began Jan. 10, the Civil Affairs Ministry said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the China Meteorological Administration said the bad weather, including more snow, would continue for at least the next three days in parts of eastern and southern China.
China's leaders, who held an emergency meeting Tuesday, deployed more than 450,000 army troops and extra units of police to clear roads and help provide emergency supplies to the millions of travelers stranded by the weather, state-run media reported, saying authorities had declared an "all out war" on the crisis.
Lydia's Commentary:
This article highlights the detrimental impacts brought about by the most disastrous snowstorm to ever hit China in 50 years. It only made it more apparent that China, despite its booming economy, is ultimately vulnerable to the forces of nature. Millions of people have staged unrest as they are frustrated by the lack of efficiency by the government, as well as the desire to be with their loved ones over the Spring Festival. I feel that the government should treat this as a wake-up call that the country do have to repair the loopholes such as poor transportation sytem that has been neglected and glossed over by the them. This is also a good time for major countries to improve thier strained realtions with China by extending a helping hand as it seems too exaggerated a problem to be handled alone.
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