China Crisis Management Report - (Volume 1)

Author: Hu Baijing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Vision, Responsibility, Cost – A Review of Government Crisis Management in 2005
"Ark plays in the long water, floating and sinking in the mist. In 2005, storms raged, and the cold pool crossed lightly. That year, songs, plays, dances, and scenes lingered in the ears, with the sound of gongs and drums echoing, as officials and people shared joys and sorrows. In the period of social transformation and high-risk times, the People's Government led the people, enduring one test after another, under the name of a warm ideal. At the end of the year, a massive explosion erupted at the Shuangben Factory of Jilin Petrochemical Company in Jilin, with fierce flames and rolling smoke rising into the sky. Pollutants flowed downstream, along the vast rivers, reaching Harbin and heading toward Russia. As a result, two cities, two provincial governments, and two countries embarked on a rescue mission for public interests.
Jiujiang, a city not geographically designated as an earthquake-prone zone, was shattered by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. At the head of Xunyang River and by the shore of Gantang Lake, a century of wind and moon turned into a nightmare in an instant. The central, provincial, and municipal governments activated their emergency systems, hospitals, schools, media, enterprises, and the government and people took action. Once again, the war between humans and nature was fully engaged.
The shadow of SARS had not completely dissipated when avian flu struck head-on. In 11 provinces, 23 prefectures, 30 counties (cities, districts), 55 towns, and 112 villages, the situation with "birds" was critical. In the face of disaster, the government became mature. Harbin and Shenzhen, though geographically distant, were equally shocking with sky-high medical fees of 5.5 million yuan and 1.2 million yuan, respectively. The statement, "China's medical system reform has basically failed," plunged two decades of Chinese medical reform into the whirlpool of public opinion. The world textile trade, long outside the free trade system, entered an era of integration without quotas. China, having waited for 15 years and enjoying the "second-class treatment" after joining the WTO, faced doubts. Although the shackles were broken, will true trade liberalization truly arrive as scheduled?
The tripartite drama between China, Europe, and the United States began, and the Chinese government faced the trials and tests of globalization. The fragments of numerous crises were still developing in test tubes, and the absentees from the reform were still growing in the process. When skeptics no longer had "collective amnesia," when those in purgatory confessed the truth, and when the balancers stepped forward, the starting point of the new logic suddenly shone brilliantly. The power of the government, the voice of the people, the brain of regulation, and the hands of action were all activated.
In the reflection of the years, the deep-seated illnesses finally subsided. Lucky as we are, please listen with your hearts—"prevention first" and "people-centered" voices have never been so loud. At the turn of the year, the Chinese government issued the "Overall Emergency Response Plan for National Public Events," making clear provisions in organizational systems, operational mechanisms, emergency guarantees, and supervision and management. This is a new era.
Ships pass by the side of a sinking boat, and ten thousand trees flourish before a withered tree.