Well, that didn’t take long, did it?

In the wake of the newest reports setting the death toll from the Chinese earthquake north of 50,000, the government response of 50,000 troops, which was initially hailed as a superb example of the actions of a government in complete control of its situation, is looking a little less adequite.

It takes two soldiers to carry one body.

May 14, The Guardian:

Authorities coping with disaster without need for outside help

Duncan Campbell

Initial indications are that the Chinese feel they have sufficient resources and experience to deal with the earthquake’s aftermath, although aid organisations and foreign governments have offered help, both financially and in terms of expertise…

Among international agencies and governments, the general feeling that seems to be emerging is that China has the infrastructure, the personnel, the resources and the experience to deal with the crisis without significant outside help. Whereas it was immediately clear that Burma would not be able to cope with the scale of their disaster on their own, China, with its vast army and its previous knowledge of severe earthquakes, presented a very different picture.

May 17th, The Guardian:

Beijing open to foreign aid and scrutiny in wake of tragedy

Julian Borger

For the first time, Beijing has accepted aid from abroad and invited rescue teams from Japan, Russia, South Korea, Singapore and even Taiwanese charities. US offers of direct assistance were declined but China’s embassy in Washington encouraged Americans to send cash and supplies, a distinct break with the past.

May 21st, The Guardian:

China dissident held ‘for criticising quake response

Jonathan Watts

Chinese police have detained a political dissident because of remarks he made about the government’s handling of the Sichuan earthquake, according to his family and supporters.

Guo Quan, the founder of the China Democracy party, was seized outside his home by seven or eight police officers four days ago. They searched his house and confiscated his computer.

“They waited outside and caught him as he was taking our child to school,” said his wife Li Jing…

In the past week, he is said to have raised questions about the emergency services’ response to the quake and the safety of nuclear facilities in Sichuan. Fellow members of his small party believe his detention is connected to last week’s disaster.

Well then, I think we can all understand why Duncan Campbell was being so boosterish, can’t we? That must be pretty strong Kool-Aid they have in China, I’m thinking, except that … Duncan Campbell is actually in the UK and Jonathan Watts is in Beijing.

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