Adam at Brainysmurf is wondering why there’s such a dearth of posts from the Chinese blog contingent about China’s successful launch of a manned spacecraft last week.
I can only speak for myself, and I saw it as a non-event, a bit of a stunt and another sign of China investing in what it needs least. Yes, it’s proof of how advanced they are becoming technologically. But looking at all the problems China is facing, was this really the best place for the government to invest billions of dollars? According to Adam, it appears that even the Chinese are reacting with a huge collective yawn.
Like the Three Gorges Dam, this reminds me how the CCP loves to do things that stroke its own ego. It may not be a smart thing or a necessary thing, but it was still An Achievement and they bask in their pride. To someone like me, it only inspires curiosity (as in, Why are you doing this?) and reinforces my opinion that the government’s priorities are as warped as ever.
1
By Mark S
I’m not sure why anyone should get excited about China, in 2003, achieving what the USSR achieved in 1961.
If a private Chinese company launched a viable commercial space service, I’d get excited about it.
October 19, 2003 @ 4:50 pm | Comment
2
By Conrad
Precisely Mark. What a yawner. Forty years ago this was a major accomplishment. Any number of countries today are perfectly capable of doing what China did (England, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, etc) they just don’t feel its a compelling place to spend their resources. China, on the otherhand, with far more glaring problems, chooses to piss its money away on what is essentially a propaganda campaign.
October 20, 2003 @ 5:07 am | Comment
3
By richard
And it doesn’t even seem to be working as a propaganda gimmick. Not only did the whole world yawn, but China apparently did, too.
October 21, 2003 @ 6:21 am | Comment
4
By Micah
The China Weblog found this post: Better things China could do to impress us
October 21, 2003 @ 9:11 am | Comment