When someone shares with you something of value, you have an obligation to share it with others.
Tuesday 2 December 2008
After Mumbai Attack, Is China Ready?
Is China ready for terrorism after the terrorist attack in Mumbai, in China’s neighbouring country India? Tens of thousands of foreign invested enterprises in China, as well as the Chinese government and its citizens, are eager to know the answer.
Is China ready for terrorism after the terrorist attack in Mumbai, in China’s neighbouring country India? Tens of thousands of foreign invested enterprises in China, as well as the Chinese government and its citizens, are eager to know the answer.
China and India, both multi-nationality countries, suffer large income gaps and social conflicts. With the two largest populations in the world, both countries have devoted economic development to alleviate social conflicts. But economic growth alone cannot relieve conflicts that have developed over long times.
China’s terrorists are mainly ethnic separatists. Separatism developed in Xinjiang and Tibet long ago. Some terrorists have formed alliance with evil forces in the middle of Asia. The Tibetan Youth Congress, formed by young Tibetan separatists and led by the Dalai Lama, is also considered a terrorist organization.
Separatists from Xinjiang and Tibet sought to disrupt the Beijing Olympic Games in China. Riots broke out in Lhasa on March 14, 2008, followed by an attempt to blow up a passenger plane. The Shanghai government arrested a group of terrorists who were set to launch attacks during the Olympic Games.
Compared with India, China may be doing better in anti-terrorism. Effective preparation for the Olympic Games demonstrated China’s ability to cope with terrorists. In the past few years, some big eastern cities have reinforced security systems for public transportation and urban streets, including security checks of subway passengers, limits on liquids taken onto planes, and tens of thousands of monitor cameras covering every corner of the city. Local and grass-roots governments have investigated non-residents family by family.
But this is far from enough. A young man broke into the local police headquarters in Shanghai with a knife and killed six police officers, while a bus explosion has not yet been solved. Both show that police lack experience for dealing with such events.
9/11 and the attack in Mumbai indicate that terrorists are most interested in areas with international businessmen and financial firms. In China, that would make Beijing and Shanghai the most subject to attack.
China cancelled some security measures after the Beijing Olympics. Police dogs and inspection equipment are not seen any more in subway stations in Shanghai or Guangzhou. Airlines are allowing passengers to carry on a bit more liquid. Is this showing that people have become less alert?
Taxi driver strikes and processions of farmers, frequent occurrences, should be warnings to Chinese policy makers that China’s huge government system still lacks effective reaction mechanism against abnormal events.
1 comment:
After Mumbai Attack, Is China Ready?
Niu Zhijing, Shanghai
2 December 2008
Is China ready for terrorism after the terrorist attack in Mumbai, in China’s neighbouring country India? Tens of thousands of foreign invested enterprises in China, as well as the Chinese government and its citizens, are eager to know the answer.
China and India, both multi-nationality countries, suffer large income gaps and social conflicts. With the two largest populations in the world, both countries have devoted economic development to alleviate social conflicts. But economic growth alone cannot relieve conflicts that have developed over long times.
China’s terrorists are mainly ethnic separatists. Separatism developed in Xinjiang and Tibet long ago. Some terrorists have formed alliance with evil forces in the middle of Asia. The Tibetan Youth Congress, formed by young Tibetan separatists and led by the Dalai Lama, is also considered a terrorist organization.
Separatists from Xinjiang and Tibet sought to disrupt the Beijing Olympic Games in China. Riots broke out in Lhasa on March 14, 2008, followed by an attempt to blow up a passenger plane. The Shanghai government arrested a group of terrorists who were set to launch attacks during the Olympic Games.
Compared with India, China may be doing better in anti-terrorism. Effective preparation for the Olympic Games demonstrated China’s ability to cope with terrorists. In the past few years, some big eastern cities have reinforced security systems for public transportation and urban streets, including security checks of subway passengers, limits on liquids taken onto planes, and tens of thousands of monitor cameras covering every corner of the city. Local and grass-roots governments have investigated non-residents family by family.
But this is far from enough. A young man broke into the local police headquarters in Shanghai with a knife and killed six police officers, while a bus explosion has not yet been solved. Both show that police lack experience for dealing with such events.
9/11 and the attack in Mumbai indicate that terrorists are most interested in areas with international businessmen and financial firms. In China, that would make Beijing and Shanghai the most subject to attack.
China cancelled some security measures after the Beijing Olympics. Police dogs and inspection equipment are not seen any more in subway stations in Shanghai or Guangzhou. Airlines are allowing passengers to carry on a bit more liquid. Is this showing that people have become less alert?
Taxi driver strikes and processions of farmers, frequent occurrences, should be warnings to Chinese policy makers that China’s huge government system still lacks effective reaction mechanism against abnormal events.
Post a Comment