China: Shoddy Construction Causes Many Deaths and Injuries

Shoddy construction in China has cost the lives of many. On the morning of Aug. 29, when a big group celebrated a loved one's 80th birthday inside a restaurant, the cement building suddenly collapsed. The incident took place at Chenzhuang Village in Shanxi Province. So far, 29 people have died and 7 were seriously injured. According to a witness, he saw the rescue team carry out five people from the debris. All these people’s faces were beyond recognition. More Chinese Cities Suffer Waterlogging in Late August Local governments in China have spent billions on infrastructure projects in recent years. Most Chinese cities look modern and attractive with new communities, shopping districts, and extensive subways. However, it only takes a rainstorm to reveal the other side of these “image projects”: the terrible performance of the underground drainage system. On Aug. 26, a heavy rain battered Guangzhou, one of the four first-tier cities in China. Flash floods started to build up within an hour. By the time the three-hour rain stopped, many cars on the road were trapped in “rivers”. Also on the same day, a torrential rain mixed with hail, slammed Baoding City, Hebei Province. Qinghai Autonomous Region borders Xinjiang and Tibet to the west, and is a region that usually suffers from drought. However, on Aug. 29, the first rain storm of the year quickly flooded Xining City, capital of Qinghai. Leaked: Chinese Officials Refused to Follow President Xi’s Orders Since Chinese leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, he has launched an overarching anti-corruption campaign to rid the Chinese Communist Party of his political rivals. Since 2014, Xi targeted corrupt officials involved in the Qinling villas and sought to demolish the structures. Among them is the former Party boss for the northwestern province of Shaanxi, Zhao Zhengyong, who received a two-year suspended death sentence for graft. Zhao was known to have close ties to former Party paramount leader Jiang Zemin. A faction loyal to Jiang is opposed to Xi’s leadership. But an internal government document about the Qinling “anti-graft” project revealed that demolition work has continually stalled, and that some villas were still in operation. China commentators analyzed that this indicates Xi is not yet successful in ridding the Party of disloyal officials and getting his subordinates to fall in line.