Despite the way the Chinese Communist Party seems to continuously deny and displace the blame when confronted with different issues in the past, government officials have been increasingly open when addressing relevant problems in China. In his last speech as the prime minister of China, Wen Jiabao discussed various issues that have developed as China has grown economically. He talked about the gaping chasm between the rich and the poor and the social tensions that are created because of uneven economic development. Also, Wen mentioned the issue of pollution and other negative environmental impacts of China's rapid economic development.
Considering its rise as a true economic powerhouse within the last several decades, China should naturally follow suit with equal progress in terms of environmental responsibility and attention to social issues. While it seems like this has not really been happening at a visible rate, the fact that a top Chinese government official brought public attention to these problems is indicative of slow but sure progress in the right direction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/world/asia/chinas-wen-gives-final-speech-as-prime-minister.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&
 |
| Wen Jiabao, China's most recent prime minister |
No comments:
Post a Comment