injured over 700. It was one of the worst industrial disasters in China’s history.

But accidents like this are extremely common. Just a few weeks prior, a viral video showed

a woman in a Chinese mall being trapped and killed in a malfunctioning escalator. Both

incidents are said to be caused by lax safety regulation. So why is China’s infrastructure

so dangerous?

Well, in the 1970s, as China’s original communist government left power, the economy

was in shambles. Chinese leaders implemented a series of economic reforms in order to compete

with Western dominance. The new changes were based on mixed economy capitalism, and allowed

businesses to expand rapidly without significant regulation.

This expansion kickstarted a modern industrial revolution leading to nearly 10% growth every

year. However, like most industrial revolutions, labor laws and safety standards have been

ignored in favor of fast growth and a competitive edge. Bribery and corruption are rampant,

as it is often cheaper to pay off regulators and fines instead of changing business practices.

The current President has attempted to crack down on corruption, but China has a longstanding

history of cutting corners in government and business that is difficult to overcome. Since

most companies were run by the state until about the 1980s, this corruption has permeated

business culture as well.

One example of this “cutthroat capitalism”, was revealed in 2008. Several manufacturers

had added a poisonous chemical to baby milk to make up for a lack of protein. This action

resulted in half a dozen infant deaths. Investigators later blamed company executives, but also

noted that government officials contributed to the tragedy by repressing the story for

months in order to save face during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Ignoring safety standards has given China a competitive edge in international trade.

But the unprecedented economic growth has come at a high human cost. The recently destroyed

chemical warehouse was not supposed to have been built near residential areas, yet the

building still received a permit. Now, many work-safety officials are under criminal investigation

for this oversight. Although China intends to stay competitive in the global market,

their ethical lapses, and many safety problems are important issues to solve.

While there appears to be no end in sight to these accidents, China is continuing to

build a supercity at the heart of Beijing. To learn more about China’s supercity Jing-Jin-Ji,

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