More buildings are collapsing.
Dangerous construction is everywhere in China.
Welcome to China Uncensored. I’m Chris Chappell.
This episode is sponsored by Surfshark. You should be using
a VPN like Surfshark to protect yourself whenever you go online.
Nothing exemplifies the Chinese dream like owning a home.
And nothing exemplifies the Chinese reality like having that home collapse on you.
A week ago, a seven-story apartment building collapsed here in China’s Hunan province.
Videos of the rubble have been circulating online.
The collapse wasn’t caused by an earthquake. It was the result of poor construction.
In China, buildings are built fast, but not to last.
It’s what’s called “Tofu Dreg Construction”—basically, when
so many corners are cut during the construction process that buildings are unstable and unsafe.
I talked about Tofu Dreg Construction in an episode a few months ago
about exploding manhole covers...
and again in a recent episode about giant sinkholes.
I keep bringing it up because problems caused by poor construction happen all the time in China.
And while it’s funny when you see a KFC awning fall to the ground,
the truth is, it actually puts a lot of Chinese people at risk.
Poor construction in China is a byproduct of widespread corruption.
We’ve seen this for a long time.
In 2016, this building suddenly fell over in Guangxi province.
But now, the Chinese Communist Party tells people it’s cracking down on corruption.
They say Tofu Dreg Construction is a thing of the past.
But like many things the Communist Party says, that’s a lie.
The one that collapsed last week was built only two
or three years ago. There were ten families living there.
Local Chinese news outlets seem to have quickly deflected responsibility from authorities.
They didn’t disclose much information about the building aside from calling it ‘self-built’.
It’s like the Communist Party’s motto: If you want something done wrong, do it yourself.
I’m not actually sure what it means for a seven-story apartment building to be “self-built.”
But regardless, the collapse was a tragedy.
Chinese state-run CGTN says five people were killed...
...but with a propaganda emphasis on the rescue: “Twelve people were trapped—seven
of which were pulled from the rubble and are being treated at local hospitals.”
The same week, another building collapsed—this one in Jilin Province
One person was reported to be trapped in the rubble of an auto repair house
that suddenly collapsed during rainfall.
And also in the same week, another tragedy in Fujian province.
Nine people were killed and seven others injured at a banquet
after a brick wall fell from the roof of a residential building.
On June 21 in Chongqing , 5 people were injured in an elevator explosion. Videos were shared of
people trembling as they walked with their clothes completely burnt and torn off of their bodies.
Is that security officer just gonna stand there and watch?
Problems like these are not only caused by Tofu Dreg Construction.
Another factor is poor maintenance. Inspectors can be bribed to
look the other way. A lot of Chinese citizens don’t trust official safety certifications.
In Wuhan last month, flammable gasses underground caused this.
And not too long after that, a natural gas pipe exploded in Wuhan.
It injured more than 130 people, and killed an estimated 25.
That explosion was too large of an incident to be ignored by the Chinese Communist Party.
So they started rolling out punishments for anyone who could be deemed responsible.
“An initial investigation found the company affiliated with China Gas,
a gas operator that provides natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas to residents
and businesses, did not strictly perform gas pipeline patrols and checks as required
and there were serious flaws in the operation of related facilities.”
And so Chinese leader Xi Jinping got directly involved
to stop this kind of thing from happening.
“Xi Jinping instructed all localities to investigate potential safety hazards,
maintain the overall stability of their society,
and ‘create a good atmosphere’ for the 100-year anniversary of the Communist Party of China.”
In other words, local officials should focus on making things look good,
and covering up any incidents.
The Chinese Communist Party has been hyping themselves
up for their big anniversary on July 1st.
As my favorite Chinese state-run media The Global Times writes in English:
“A wide range of works including films, television dramas, operas, documentaries and animated works
will be produced to celebrate mark this important occasion time.”
You know, if they want to make their anniversary look good, they should hire a proofreader.
But I hope everyone in China enjoys the pageantry.
They can even watch the fireworks from the street—because their home collapsed.
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Once again, I’m Chris Chappell. See you next time.