Beijing Orders Higher Construction Standards in Sichuan Province

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Beijing Orders Higher Construction Standards in Sichuan

Written by Robert Vance on June 10, 2008 – 2:30 am

On Sunday, Chinese Premier Wen JiaBao signed into law regulations that are intended to ensure that new buildings in Sichuan province will not ‘topple’ over again in the event of another earthquake. According to Xinhua, China’s official print news agency, the Chinese government ”put forward special requirements on earthquake-resistance levels of infrastructure construction in the quake-hit regions, including schools and hospitals.” The regulations also called for more “public supervision” and “auditing” of the reconstruction process. The new law, which included a number of other regulations, was established nearly a month after a devestating earthquake in China left over 69,000 people dead and an addition 17,000 missing. The policy is the first of its kind in China and is likely an attempt to appease the outrage in China over the shoddy construction standards that were exposed in the aftermath of the earthquake. Pictures have been circulating of schools and hospitals that collapsed while across the street, local government buildings remained intact.

These regulations, like many others that are handed down from Beijing, are important and well-intentioned. However, also not unlike many laws established in the Chinese capital city, these new regulations will be difficult to enforce. In the following months, there will be a reconstruction frenzy as local governments rush to build new housing and revive the tourist industry in Sichuan. Unless Beijing can muster enough resources to ‘breath down the back’ of local contractors and government officials during the reconstruction phase, there is little doubt that time and money, not safe construction standards, will be the top priority. This has always been a problem in China. Buildings seemingly go up overnight in Chinese cities but as the world witnessed in Sichuan, they come down much quicker in an earthquake. The policy that went into effect on Sunday can only work if Beijing is willing to take a ‘hands on’ approach in Sichuan. The mass reconstruction effort cannot just be ‘thrown’ on the backs of the local governments; a watchdog is needed to ensure that the regulations are being adhered to.

It is also vital that these regulations be applied to other parts of China outside of the earthquake damage zone. There are thousands of schools, hospitals, and other civilian building projects that are being constructed throughout China. The Chinese government must learn from the mistakes of the past and ensure that buildings which are being constructed inside earthquake zones meet the highest earthquake resistant standards. There may never be such a large earthquake in Sichuan again in this generation but too many other cities of China sit on hotbeds of seismic activity. The Chinese government needs to be forward-thinking in its policies as it moves China along the path of development. Taking the appropriate action now can save thousands, if not millions of lives in the future.

Read the Xinhua article about this new law here.

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