Floods in Henan, World's Fastest Train, and Updates from Cyrus
Your weekly China update from Cyrus Janssen
Hello Friends,
Today's newsletter covers the following topics:
Joint efforts against flood disaster
600km/h maglev high-speed train in China
This week’s news from me
1. Flood catastrophe in Henan
Impact of Floods Flood levels have risen dangerously in central China and especially in Henan (河南) province. The death toll rises to 33 confirmed dead and 1.2 million people have been displaced by the floods. The provincial capital of Zhengzhou has been severely affected, with power and traffic disrupted.
Joint efforts Chinese President Xi Jinping called the flooding "extremely severe" and mobilized various resources to deal with the situation. Chinese technology companies are providing drones and unmanned boats, the Ministry of Emergency Management is working with China Mobile to provide mobile network coverage, and Tencent is using cloud platforms to track affected people. This shows great cooperation in an emergency situation, which I also witnessed during the 2008 Chinese winter storms.
Civilian heroes Hashtags like "Civilian Heroes" went viral on Chinese social media. Videos show passersby helping victims and risking their own lives to save them. Scenes show people offering shelter, food and clothing. There is a strong sense of solidarity across the country, with companies donating money and manpower to those affected.
2. China Debuts World’s Fastest Maglev Train
Innovation Made In China This Tuesday, China unveiled a world novelty: The Super-Bullet Maglev (磁懸浮列車) train. Maglev stands for magnetic levitation because the train uses an electromagnetic field that makes it float on the rails. Not only does the exterior look futuristic, but the interior is full of screens, modern design and comfortable seats.
Transportation Implications The high-speed train will have several effects on the transport network. On the one hand, it will reduce the time taken to travel long distances: currently, it takes 10 hours to travel from Shenzhen to Shanghai with the current high-speed train; this will be reduced to an astonishing 2.5 hours. This could mean less demand for polluting short-haul flights. This train is part of the "National 123" policy, which calls for a one-hour trip within a city, a two-hour travel in city clusters, and a maximum three-hour journey between cities nationwide.
China leads speed rail technology The train demonstrates that China has understood the importance of railroad infrastructure. Already having the largest high-speed rail network in the world, the country is rapidly developing to transport its citizens comfortably and quickly across the vast country. This infrastructure is creating more opportunities for the Chinese population, who can now live with their families in one city and work in another, for example. I recommend taking a look at this 1-minute video introducing the train.
3. Videos about a BBC article, the development of Shanghai and a Livestream
Firstly, I wanted to tell you some great news! The US State Department released a video on Twitter that you can find below, stating that the US and China need to cooperate on climate. Have they been watching my videos? Fun aside, this statement supports my message of the US and China working together. Let’s hope that we will see more action like this in the future!
Moving on to some news from my channel! In the last week I was working on the following three projects:
Media manipulation using the example of a BBC article In the video you can see below, I talked about the power of language and article titles. In presenting the incentives of online newspapers, it became clear that sensationalist headlines are encouraged, as are topics that play into heated public debates, such as anti-China articles. It is clear that this article omits much important information that would contradict the conclusion.
Futuristic city of Shanghai The next video I released with Reporterfy Media is a look at the breathtaking development of Shanghai. From the roaring 1920-30s, to the opening up of the 1970-80s, to the modern masterpiece of 2010-2021 that most of us are familiar with. I find it fascinating to see videos from the archives in direct comparison with today, the speed of development is something that is hard to grasp.
Livestream Finally, I spoke with Alex from Reporterfy Media and his wife about their return to China, the cultural barrier and his expectations. He is one of the many expats who are now travelling to the Middle Kingdom to resume their work.
Finally you can expect a new episode of Real Talk China this evening on the YouTube channel. In this episode I interview American Terry Wittenmyer who wrote the book “Fearing China”. It will be published on my YouTube Channel this evening at 9pm EST.
I hope you enjoyed today's edition of my newsletter. Let me know if you have any feedback or comments. Starting this week, I'll be sending you a weekly update every Friday! If you like the newsletter, I'd love for you to spread the word. Have a great weekend ahead!
Cyrus