A Mighty Fine Temporary Distraction

Some 12,000 soldiers showing off their practiced moves in Tiananmen Square

When I lived in Beijing several years ago, we never marked September 3, the anniversary of the end of World War II with a public holiday.

So it was strange to find China was celebrating the 70th anniversary with a day off -- and Hong Kong too -- because historically it was the Nationalists who fought off the Japanese and suffered great casualties, not the Communists.

But then again massaging the facts to be compatible with the PRC narrative is nothing new.

Xi Jinping inspects the troops in his Mao suit

It also fits into Chinese President Xi Jinping's plans to prove to not only the country, but the world who is in charge of 1.3 billion people.

Like his predecessor, he too wore a tailored dark Mao suit as he inspected the 12,000 soldiers, who had been practicing for probably months for this big event. Apparently they rehearsed marching so much that they wore out 16,000 pairs of boots.

Factories were shut down, people were swept off the streets and businesses in the area were closed -- basically no ordinary citizen was allowed to witness the parade first hand and instead had to watch it on television.

Xi also had his wife Peng Liyuan attend, the first time the First Lady has been allowed to be part of the festivities. She wore the obligatory red dress and pearls, giving a bit more style to the proceedings.

In his speech, Xi spoke of China's contribution to the victor of the allied powers to remind the West of the Middle Kingdom's standing.

"With huge national sacrifice, the Chinese people held ground in the main theatre in the East of the World Anti-Fascist War, thus making a major contribution to its victory," he said.''

China showed up its military might on the ground and air

"In the interests of peace, we need to foster a keen sense of a global community of a shared future. All countries should jointly uphold the international order and system underpinned by the purposes of the UN Charter," Xi continued."

He added: "China will never seek hegemony or expansion."

If China is seeking peace, then why this extraordinary show of military might? Lots of hardware was out in force to show its citizens and the world who's got power.

But while the parade was predictable, many residents were bursting with nationalistic pride -- particularly when being interviewed by foreign media.

They parroted phrases about how the parade showed how great the country is. They seemed to temporarily forget the stock market is on the fritz and there are still no answers as to what caused the massive explosions at a warehouse in Tianjin that has left at least 160 people dead.

And for Xi to say that China is not seeking hegemony or expansion is intriguing considering what's happening in the South China Sea. China has practically reclaimed land on a set of disputed reefs, even building an airstrip. If that's not expansionist, I don't know what that is.

China's party is over for now, though in less than a month there may be more celebrations with National Day on October 1.

It probably won't be as grand as it was today, though many residents may be glad giving the appearance that all is perfect in the Middle Kingdom is over, and now they can go about their daily lives again...

Seemingly in Denial

Chinese stocks fell another day, sparking more fears of China's economy

Chinese stocks slid for another day, 7.6 percent lower and adding to the 8.5 percent lost yesterday, it was the benchmark's lowest level since December 15.

Some experts like Kenneth Rogoff, a professor of economics at Harvard University predicted China's financial crisis -- if this is it -- and says it's because of the Middle Kingdom's massive debt.

The Chinese government may like to believe -- or make others believe -- it has control of the markets, but Rogoff says, "It is very vulnerable. There is a lot of debt."

No one knows exactly how much debt China has, but according to a report published earlier this year by McKinsey & Company, China, the country's debt rose from $7 trillion in 2007 to $28 trillion by mid-2014.

Professor Kenneth Rogoff predicted China's impending crisis

"Several factors are worrisome: Half of loans are linked directly or indirectly to China's real estate market, unregulated shadow banking accounts for nearly half of new lending, and the debt of many local governments is likely unsustainable," the report says.

Yikes.

Rogoff isn't the only person who has been pessimistic about China's economy -- former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr predicted doom and gloom, while hedge fund manager James Chanos has been ringing alarm bells for years. "Whatever you might think, it's worse."

It's a serious issue the Chinese government needs to sort out, Rogoff says. "Financial meltdown leads to a social meltdown, which leads to a political meltdown. That's the real fear."

And then on top of it, is how the explosion in Tianjin almost two weeks ago that has now left 135 dead, is being handled by the government. The lack of transparency and getting more information out has undermined the Chinese government's credibility.

No mention of stock market losses today

Speaking of which, People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, made no mention of Black Monday in any of its 24 pages today. It instead focused on economic development in Tibet and the upcoming 70th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II.

However what's interesting is that those media who don't tow the official line have openly discussed what should be done about the economy and stock market, some calling for the government to intervene, others not. It's a good healthy debate, though at some point Beijing may enforce a total lock down on the matter.

Regardless it's a serious issue that needs to be sorted, which the officials in Zhongnanhai must been trying to figure out as we speak.

In the meantime why not learn more about how the economy in Tibet is developing!

Subjected to More Toxic Statements

Two rabbits in a small cage are subjected to toxic air in the Tianjin blast site

Tonight there were explosions in Zibo city, Shandong that are 1km from residential areas -- eerily reminiscent of the Tianjin blasts over a week ago.

There are scant details at the time of writing, except eight people are injured so far and similar images of fireball explosions...

A pair of pigeons are also there to prove the air is "OK"

There's been a lot of talk in China about how faith in the Chinese government has sunk to an all-time low.

But wait! The government can prove the air is safe to breathe because animals were exposed to it for a couple of hours today.

Following the advice of experts with the rescue operation effort, soldiers from the PLA Beijing military command area laid down cages containing rabbits, chickens and pigeons in the site of the explosions.

Looking at the picture of the two rabbits, they barely have enough room to sit side by side in the cramped cage.

Tianjin Deputy Mayor He Shushan says at least 700 tonnes of sodium cyanide were stored with other dangerous goods on the warehouse site owned by Ruihai International Logistics.

Rescuers and investigators on the site wear protective gear

The animals contrast with investigators and rescue workers who are wearing chemical protection suits.

What is the point of putting these animals deliberately in harm's way? If they weren't caged up, surely they would have fled the area? Animal welfare groups are probably going to blast the government for purposely endangering these animals' lives.

Yet another wrong public relations move...

Oh and the thousands of dead fish in the nearby River Hai? Tianjin officials said the mass fish deaths were caused by regular seasonal low oxygen levels in the water.

They claimed tests from three different spots at the river did not show high levels of cyanide or sulfide.

Why have thousands of fish washed up in the nearby river?

But a report from the Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau showed that tests taken of the water the day before showed cyanide levels in the river, sea and waste water in the evacuated area around the explosion site had risen rapidly, with one area reporting cyanide levels 277 times above acceptable levels.

So who's telling the truth?

Going Through the Motions

Li Keqiang (right) checks out the site of the explosion earlier today

The number of dead in the Tianjin explosions has now reached 112, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang finally made a visit to the site today, though Xinhua only gave a brief summary of what he would do: visit firefighters, rescuers and those injured.

"He will also direct further rescue operations and treatment of the injured, as well as handling of the aftermath and production safety," the report said.

So... does Li have experience in dealing with chemical explosions and have medical knowledge in how to treat victims who were injured in the blasts on Wednesday night?

Surely he should really be deferring to experts in the field? Or do these rescuers and medical staff not know what to do, or must wait for his signal before going ahead?

These phrases seem so anachronistic, but they are brought out each time a disaster happens and a senior Chinese officials dutifully goes to inspect the site.

Meanwhile Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote instructions that the Tianjin blasts and a string of serious accidents exposed severe problems in the work safety sector, and the authorities must always keep "safe development" and "people's interest first" in mind to avoid such accidents.

These seem quite obvious, but surely an investigation needs to take place before such vague statements can be made?

Work safety has never been much of a priority for China, and all of a sudden it is on the President's mind.

Will this accident finally give work safety the attention it sorely needs? Or is this just another stock phrase to show the government is concerned?

But many Chinese citizens are not buying it, particularly those who are related to the victims of the disaster, or living in the port city near Beijing.

Some have joked that the air was too toxic until Sunday for Chinese leaders to breathe, despite local officials saying the air was fine, and adding no emergency crews were ill from chemical contamination.

They are racing against time before it next rain to contain the at least 100 tonnes of sodium cyanide at the site that can create noxious gases if reacted with water. That could not be a more stressful task.

And online censors are trying to control heated criticisms of the government and its handling of the disaster, calling it "a real life Pinocchio" in hashtags, and demanding the truth of what is really going on.

At press conferences, Chinese officials are unable to answer a lot of questions posed by journalists, only replying with "let me check" or "next question". Hardly gives anyone much confidence in the authorities.

Interestingly, the day of the blasts coincide with the 1,000th day of Xi's ascent to power, and hint that perhaps this Tianjin incident was the beginning of his end.

But we shall see how much punishment and blame goes around: access to public registries have been blocked, though the National Enterprises Credit and Information System revealed information about Ruihai International, the company that owns the exploded warehouse.

The chairman is listed as Li Liang, that overseas Chinese media have identified as the nephew of Li Ruihuan, a Tianjin-born former Politburo member and chairman of the Chinese People's Consultative Conference.

Considering much has been covered up, Li and his nephew have pretty good guanxi so far...

Lack of Trust Pervades

People remember the victims of the Tianjin blasts

In Hong Kong there's lots of skepticism of what is really being told about the Tianjin explosions, particularly the number of dead.

As of today the total is 104, but many question the figure, saying that because the blasts on Wednesday were the equivalent to 24 tonnes of TNT, that there should be dozens more if not hundreds who perished in the disaster.

But it sounds like crews are still trying to contain the fires and figure out what chemicals exploded and which ones are still left lying around in the massive warehouse. Apparently the records of the chemicals were destroyed in the blast -- a big lesson there -- and now the authorities are going through the tedious task of going through transport records.

However, relatives of loved ones who are missing after the blast want to know what happened. Today some tried to barge in on a press conference, but were unable to enter, and they could be heard shouting from outside.

Anxious relatives want to know where their loved ones are

"Nobody has told us anything, we're in the dark, there is no news at all," screamed a middle-aged woman, as she was dragged away by security personnel.

Earlier Tianjin residents wondered if the government is telling them the truth, saying the air was fine to breathe, but many reported having headaches and dizziness; some resorted to wearing masks to try to mitigate breathing in possibly toxic chemicals.

But now those who were living within 3km of the warehouse were told to evacuate the area because the winds changed direction from moving towards Bohai Bay, to now back inland.

Xinhua also reported seven or eight fresh blasts that caused new fires to break out at the facility, but did not give further details.

There was another bright spot today, after a firefighter was found alive yesterday, a many in his 40s was found in a shipping container, 50m from the blast "core zone".

Fires are still smouldering in the warehouse facility

Staff from sodium cyanide producers were brought to the site to best determine how to deal with the situation, and an army of 200 nuclear and biochemical experts from the Chinese military were deployed to the area.

Unless someone is an expert in chemical reactions and can easily analyze what chemicals were involved in the explosions, 200 experts aren't going to be of much help if they only know theoretical equations.

It will take several more days to figure out what just happened in this warehouse facility and also possibly find human remains of those missing.

If the government is not transparent about how the explosion happened and punish those involved, this will be yet another thorn in its side as it tries to brush the incident under the carpet, like Tiananmen Square, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, the Wenzhou train collision in 2011 and now this.

How much more can people bear?

Tianjin Blast Sparks Many Questions

What was left on one area of the warehouse after battling the blaze in Tianjin

One wonders whose heads will roll following the massive explosions in a Tianjin warehouse that has killed at least 50 people and injured more than 500.

There are media reports an official environmental evaluation report on dangerous goods warehouses operated by Tianjin Ruihai Logistics, concluded that a fire or blast would not have a considerable impact on the neighbouring area.

The 42,000 square metre warehouse was a temporary holding area for dangerous goods before being imported or exported.

One of the explosions that rocked Tianjin Wednesday night

The report named some chemicals, like sodium cyanide acetylene, potassium nitrate, Toulene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) and condensed natural gas were transported stored at the warehouse, while it said many precautions were taken.

"Multiple surveillance cameras, a control centre for fire alarm and video surveillance are installed in the warehouse. A firefighting squad and traffic police square are stationed at the south of the warehouses," the report said.

It concluded "firefighters can arrive at the scene in time in case of fire or explosion and take fire extinguishing measures to contain release of toxic materials".

However, it seems the firefighters had no idea what they were battling in the blaze -- about 1,000 were deployed, but at least 12 died, 36 missing, and the rest had to pull out because they were unsure of what dangerous goods were inside and how much was stored.

Apparently 8,000 troops trained in anti-chemical warfare and 1,500 police also joined in the effort, but there were no other details on how they helped contain the fire and deal with the after effects.

Firefighters pulled out, unsure of what they were dealing with

The report seems to have been written in an ideal situation without having conducted any kind of practice emergency drills, or any kind of briefing or inspection by police and fire inspectors of the warehouse; it seems like a document that was published to tick off the right boxes to have it cleared at the government level.

There was also apparently a public consultation held in May 2013, allaying concerns, if residents had any, that all precautions were taken.

Workers at the warehouse who survived or escaped the blast told the media that they did not have proper training to handle dangerous goods.

Meanwhile there are at least three residential areas comprising 5,000 households that are located within 5km from the warehouse. A luxury development only 2km away was being built and so there were no casualties there, but construction workers now have to rebuild the project again, as all the windows were blown out and some surfaces scorched.

Some residents interviewed didn't know about the public consultation, or weren't aware of what dangerous goods were being stored there.

Rows of vehicles in the warehouse burned out from the blast

While Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on firefighters to contain the blaze and for rescuers and hospital staff to save as many people as possible, how seriously will the government take this incident and really investigate what happened? Will they really find out how residential areas could be built so close to a dangerous spot or vice versa, that a warehouse storing dangerous goods would be allowed to be built so close to a residential area?

Was this warehouse licensed to store and transport dangerous goods? And who endorsed the so-called environmental evaluation report?

There are too many questions that need to be answered. While this tragedy will bring the country together in grief, anger will be simmering below the surface, demanding answers and compensation.

Surely this tragedy will lead to a setback to Xi's legacy plan of amalgamating Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei together into a supercity called "Jing-Jin-Ji"...