China Youth Daily Criticizes Local Governments and Coal Mine Managers in Mine Disasters

In a March 22 article, China Youth Daily writer Zhang Hongqing raises some grave questions about the responsibility of local governments for the rising death toll in China's coal mines. Zhang finds that the mining accidents are due to managerial negligence and asks why local governments have done nothing to control mine managers who disregard safety standards and the companies they work for. He notes that the safety standards are insufficient and safety technology is backward, but points to corruption and greed as the major reasons for the neglect of safety standards. Zhang thinks that local governments must step in to lead safety programs, and offers the view that they will bear the responsibility for failure.