Wall Street Journal (July 27)
“Saturday’s tragic train crash near Wenzhou, in the coastal province of Zhejiang, raises important questions about the Chinese government’s ability to ensure basic safety standards.” The Journal points to the difficulty top-down Chinese institutions have in developing and supervising complex systems. “Like a multinational corporation with a long supply chain, a high-speed rail network depends on individuals at multiple levels of command taking responsibility for effective local operations. China’s predilection for top-down organization makes it difficult for information to flow horizontally and for subordinates to take the initiative to make improvements.”
Tags: China, Government, High-Speed Rail, Safety, Top-down
The Economist (June 3)
For the first time in the 80-year history of the World Cup, an African nation will play host. South Africa has spent 4 years preparing, spending billions of dollars to build and upgrade stadiums, improve airports, expand roads, and complete Africa’s first high-speed train. “South Africa is rightly proud of its achievement,” but The Economist adds that after the World Cup finishes, the nation still has numerous issues to tackle, including the world’s highest unemployment rate.
Tags: High-Speed Rail, South Africa, Unemployment, World Cup
