Why did nearly 7,000 schools collapse in China’s earthquake and so many government buildings remained standing virtually intact?
While the Chinese government is investigating, some allege that corruption is at fault. Others have suggested that its simply bad construction – many of the school buildings were simply too old or built by construction companies unable to afford the best materials.
But even if it turns out that corruption is not an issue here, it seems like it still makes the headlines. The government, for example, is growing increasingly worried about corruption in relief efforts. Could it be that public protests are responsible for the growing awareness? Some say its not the fault of the central government:
Li Bai, a shopkeeper, alleged that local officials needed to be bribed to get things done. “After Hu Jintao came here, they finally started taking this disaster seriously. The central government just doesn’t know how corrupt the officials are here. They just need to come more often to see it for themselves,” Li told the Associated Press.
And the public pressure is having an effect. Worried about public perception of the government as local administration buildings are standing tall amid the rubble, Wen Jiabao
has temporarily halted new construction projects for government and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) offices. He also ordered cutbacks to other obvious privileges enjoyed by CCP leaders, including expensive official meetings, new cars and overseas trips.
In a sign its aware of such complaints, a report Wednesday on the Web site of the State Council, the Cabinet, threatened officials with punishment if they misused relief funds or supplies.
Moreover, the government has quickly set up a reconstruction fund and introduced a three-day national mourning period – after it was petitioned by a private citizen to do so. The bottom line – the quake is not changing the Chinese society, but its highlighting the changes in its socio-political landscape that have been taking place for quite some time now alongside the country’s economic revival.
Published Date: May 28, 2008