China Eager to Show it Can Handle Olympics and Crisis

The Chinese government is practicing its crisis management skills, as it continues to prepare for the Beijing Olympics even after last month’s devastating earthquake.

In an article in the Los Angeles Times, Ching-Ching Ni says officials in the country are eager to show that they can handle both the massive humanitarian crisis and the Olympics at the same time.

“The preparations for the Olympic Games have moved into the last and critical stage,” Chinese Vice President Xi Jin- ping told state news media this week during a visit to sporting venues getting their finishing touches. “We will do it well while working hard for quake relief. We will pay equal importance to the two things and not delay one for the other.”

But earthquake relief isn’t the only concern of Chinese crisis management officials, says Ni. The government is also concerned with the possibility of a SARS-like epidemic or food safety scare. “Such crises in recent years have undermined public confidence and thrown into question Beijing’s willingness to provide accurate, up-to-date information in the event of an emergency,” Ni says.

After the earthquake, the Chinese capital was able to quickly mobilize and dispatch emergency medical teams. Officials said the disaster offered a rare opportunity for the Olympic host to practice its crisis management skills.

“The earthquake was like a test to us,” Jin Dapeng, party secretary of the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, told reporters. “Our medical staff did an exceptional job in the relief effort. It gave us more confidence about holding a successful Olympics.”

To read the full article, click here: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-olympics29-2008may29,1,7244788.story

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