Correspondent's Notebook
Beyond the Boomtowns
6 June 2008
Karon Snowdon reflects on two weeks investigating how China is changing during the one of the most profound periods of economic renaissance the world has seen. The trip was meant to take in Sichuan – the province which was devastated by an 8 magnitude earthquake two days after she arrived in China.
When a dozen journalists from eight countries set out from the East West Centre in Hawaii for two weeks in China, little did we know our venture would be affected by the biggest earthquake in China’s recent history and how closely bonded our little band would become.
Our trip was sponsored by the Jefferson Fellowship, a fund aimed at building understanding between Asia-Pacific nations. The theme was China: Beyond the Boomtowns, our goal was a better understanding of China’s economic development. Our destination, Chongching and Sichuan – those areas beyond the boomtowns of Beijing and Shanghai – the glamorous mega-cities which had been privileged by central government policies and the bulk of foreign investment.
On our second day in Beijing we felt the Sichuan earthquake although we were 1,500 kilometres away from the epicentre. Our ultimate goal of Sichuan’s capital city Chengdu had to be abandoned.
We were a dozen frustrated journalists – torn between wanting to jump into reporting the disaster and our commitment to the Jefferson program. Our group leader’s family in Chengdu kept us up to date with developments. Amid aftershocks we loyally continued our meetings with government officials, farmers relocated by the Three Gorges Dam and local business people, our Taiwanese colleague reported on the historic first direct flight from Beijing to Taiwan taking Taiwanese tourists home from the earthquake zone, and we watched the minute by minute rescue efforts telecast by local media around the clock.
We were given the run of the city by the Mayor of Chongching. The city of 6 million people is expanding by four million more. With 36 million in the municipality it is the most densely populated area already in China. The central government is supporting the city’s development through its “Go West” strategy – a set of policies and lots of money for the regions.
It has been called the biggest and fastest rate of urbanisation in human history.
The most notable thing about Chongching is the rate of construction. There’s a permanent coating of dust over the entire city. It is such a contrast to Beijing’s shiny new skyscrapers and flashy Olympic sports venues. Chongching is building practical and not always attractive apartment buildings, freeways everywhere and a whole vocational education system to feed its massive industrialisation.
The Mayor says he will build a livable city with no slums even with the fast rate of growth. By many measures he’s succeeding.
Yes the Three Gorges Dam has forced more than a million people to move, pollution is a problem, and workplace safety regulations are not always enforced. But the efforts at poverty reduction and curbing pollution we witnessed are impressive.
People’s lives are improving – a lot. In the seven years since the Go West policy kicked in, per capita GDP in Chongching has multiplied five times – from $US400 to $2000 today. We met one of the farmers who had been helped with solar and biogas powered water and electricity. He says he saves 100 work days a year not having to cut down precious trees for fuel. As a result of something so simple he can send his three children to university.
Quite an achievement in just one generation.
How sad then that it is in contrast to the loss of so many children in the earthquake, perhaps in part because some buildings did not meet the necessary standards.
China is developing fast – too fast for some, not fast enough for others.
