I visit China amidst great tragedy and excitement with the devastating aftermath of the May 13th Sichuan earthquake (and subsequent aftershocks) and the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Kunming is a bit removed from both events, but it's hard to open this blog without some reflection. On the plane ride from Vancouver to Hong Kong (HK), I had an enlightening conversation with a Mr. Ho, a businessman in the mining industry in Canada. Originally from Guangzhou, he told me that he feels a deep connection to China because the fundamental relationship between an individual to her/his family and the state is rooted in Chinese culture. The Chinese word for country (I think there are a few variations of the term country) guo jia, literally translates to nation-family. I recall him telling me this as I watch CCTV (China's state run media network) images of school children emptying their piggy banks and stuffing yuan (dollars) into collection boxes for the victims of the May 13th earthquake. Hundreds of volunteers are flocking to the Sichuan province to help. One policewoman is breastfeeding babies orphaned during the quake, she is heralded as a national hero for her selflessness.
Looking at the media coverage, albeit images because the reporters speak so fast in Mandarin I can barely pick up two words a sentence, the relief efforts appear to be carried out with military-like precision and purpose. Massive evacuations, temporary housing construction, medical services and food distribution are being carried out. Some people are saying they are eating better now after the quake than before the disaster. The military is spraying chilled disinfectant in tent cities to prevent infection and disease. The government says that the disinfectant poses no threat to humans. Watching the soldiers in Beichuan spray disinfectant reminded me of the summer of 2000 when the New York City health department sent trucks into neighborhoods to spray insecticide to kill mosquitoes during the West Nile virus episode. The coverage of the quake also brought to mind the U.S. government’s response to Hurricane Katrina. The Chinese government’s response to the May 13th natural disaster makes the President Bush’s response to Katrina look like a fruitless fishing trip. The Chinese government’s immediate reaction seemed very fast. On television, the people (including President Wen Jiabao) were very emotional about the situation. The idea of guo jia made sense to me after looking at the response of the citizenry, military and government to the disaster. Newspaper articles (in English) lay out detailed plans that the government is taking to address people’s needs and prevent further problems with epidemics. I have even seen forums where people are able to criticize or praise the response of the Chinese government.
Side note: I recommend that FEMA start taking cues from their colleagues in China. It is sad that FEMA’s response to Katrina is comparable to that of Myanmar’s response to the cyclone catastrophe.
In my dorm room I receive 33 channels on television, all of which are a part of the CCTV network. No less than 10 channels run news of the earthquake around the clock. A few channels, including the English language news channel, mostly focuses on preparation for the Olympics. A significant amount of coverage is spent on sustainability and the environmental impact of waste and consumption in Beijing. I’ve never traveled to the city, but I’ve been told that it is hard to see 10 feet in front of you sometimes because the pollution is so dense. I don’t know if that is the case, if so, I am happy to be in Kunming right now.
