China's road to the everest

Safin

China's road to Mt. Everest
Environmental and security concerns are on an all-time high as China proposes to build a highway to Mt Everest for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The project aims to turn a 108-km rough road linking Tingri County of Xigaze Prefecture at the foot of the world's tallest mountain to the Base Camp into a blacktop highway fenced by undulating guardrails. The project will take about four months. It is believed that on completion, the highway will become the major route for tourists and mountaineers.

China proposes to build the "highway" on Mt Everest from the Tibetan side so as to ease the path of those bearing the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch. The organisers of the torch relay have said the Olympics flame is expected to reach Mt Everest from the southern slope before the mountaineers carry it down along the northern slope.

Environmentalists slam 'Highway' project

Environment activists are appalled not just at China's audacity, but because a blacktop road would mean more pollution in an area whose ecosystem is fragile and already threatened.

China looks defiant even as activists cite the havoc wrought in other glacial areas where roads have been built, mostly pilgrim spots like Badrinath and Gangotri. " This is virtually a declaration of war on this and future generations. In an era of climate change, when glaciers are retreating at 30 mts per year or more, the Olympic torch should be a torch of light. by contructing the road China would be demonstrating what it has repeatedly articulated in global forums - 'We don't care about climate change'. I cannot see that torch doing anything other than symbolising the continuance on the path of the carbon destruction of the earth," commented Bittu Saigal, editor of Sanctuary Magazine to TIMES NOW.

Commenting on China’s move, Air Vice Marshal PC Routela Secretary, Indian Moutaineering Federation opines says, "Its preposterous , the road will destroy the regions ecosystem". Meanwhile, Syed Iqbal Hasnain, Glaciologist says ,"Such Human intervention is dangerous for the Himalayas which is already under threat due to global warming."

Suprisingly, the planning for the road was done in secrecy and even the Beijing Olympic Committee was informed only a week ago. The audacious project is bound to be an engineering feat as was the Beijing-Lhasa Railway Project which is the highest railway in the world. The road will link Tingri County of Xigaze Prefecture in Tibet, lying at the foot of the mountain to the base camp. The road plan also suggests that Chinese authorities may have discussed the project with Nepal, which shares Mount Qomolangma, as Mt Everest is called in Tibetan, with China. However, it is not known if India, too, has been told of the same.

The construction of the road costing USD 19.7 million kicked off yesterday (June 19) at Mt Everest Base Camp, some 5,200 meters above sea level.

Politics behind the project

It is worth noting that only yesterday, Defence Minister A K Antony had expressed his concern about China rapidly building infrastructure on its side of the border, which was forcing India to step up infrastructure projects on its side. Official sources in New Delhi say that the road per se does not spell any fresh security concerns for India. One cannot rule out the fact that the present project only shows that
Chinese President Hu Jintao's Tibet policy is designed to hasten the plateau's integration with the mainland.

China's road to Mt. Everest- World-Sections-TIMES NOW.tv

Troubles over Tibet
Recently, five Americans, including one of Tibetan descent, protested at the Everest base camp against China's "occupation of Tibet" and the fact that the Olympic flag would pass through the Tibet autonomous region. They were arrested but released after a few days and expelled from China.

Organizations such as the international Students for a Free Tibet have jumped on to the case, generating exactly the kind of news that Beijing does not want.

China claims that it has ruled Tibet - the highest region on Earth and commonly referred to as the "Roof of the World" - for centuries. Many Tibetans say their homeland was an independent state for most of that time.

In 1950, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) invaded the Tibetan area of Chamdo, crushing minimal resistance from the ill-equipped Tibetan army. In 1951, Tibetan representatives, under PLA military pressure, signed a 17-point agreement with China's central government affirming China's sovereignty over Tibet. The agreement was ratified in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, a few months later.

Thousands of people fled the country and a government-in-exile, headed by the Dalai Lama, has existed since 1959. Tibet has been an emotive issue ever since.

The Olympic torch's route and the lead-up to the Games themselves next year will ensure that the Taiwan and Tibet issues remain in the headlines. But in the grand scheme of things, not much is likely to change before or after the cry goes out: "Let the Games begin."

Asia Times Online :: China News - Olympic flame a burning issue for China

One wonders if China will ever stop playing politics. Its a clear attempt to try and fasten the "integration" of the Tibetan mainland and quash the ethinicity of the native population. And apart from that its about time the Indian government started taking this seriously. A heavy infrastructure and troop buildup along the border areas will give China an upper hand in any confrontation and it will approach all border disputes with a position of strength.

If only our leaders stopped doing this bullshit: No ICBM for India

Private Ryan

And apart from that its about time the Indian government started taking this seriously.

Unfortunately thrs little we can do about it...this aint arunachal pradesh...its on the nepal tibet border...china who claim tibet, are building the highway on their side of the everest...so we can just sit n crib here about the growing prominence of china in tibet but, alas, china is unperturbed by international concerns...n its nothing new...blatantly violating international norms, they proved it when they blasted their own satellite in space with a missile sometime back...they didnt care about the debris it wud cause... endangering satellites of other nations and human lives on space missions...

It seems as if thrs nobody to hold them back...

Safin

The problem ofcourse is that China is actually making "communism" quite well. All the international community, including India, believed that after 1989 communism is and will fail in China given time and that the subsequent upheaval would solve most of the problems especially with Taiwan, Tibet etc with both getting autonomy or optimistically China relinquishing its claim on them.
Unfortunately nothing of that sort has happened and the growing might of China especially economically(even militarily they are getting very strong) has meant that no one can afford to ignore or be combative towards them. Infact people want to keep china in good books and thats one of the main reasons to award them the Olympics anyway.

Private Ryan · 11:53 PM

To tell u the truth, all tht chinese talk about a flourishing and successful model of communism seems to be a farce as today whatever they are earning economically is because of the capitalist nations...whr wud have been china if they had not opened the gates for the world's biggest tech empires to set up low cost manufacturing bases in their land. They are completely dependent on the capitalist nations for their economic welfare...thts completely against the laws of socialism out of which communism has evolved......they may take pride in calling themselves communists but in the end, they are governed by the capitalist nations, read USA n western european nations.

And thts the reason why the western countries appease china all the time...afterall their own economic growth n development in dependent on china and its rich resources...

Safin

umm not exactly.
Yes they are dependent on the capitalist countries for orders, getting the products made in the conditions of thier factories and at the wages that they decide will never work in a capitalist economy(oops democratic i mean)

eg in India, our workers will go in for a dharna pradarshan (strike)

Private Ryan · 12:20 AM

But come to think about it, the trade unions were made strong by the socialist ideology. Then why is it tht the trade union in a communist country like china are so obedient even after labors getting considerably lower wages and so strong in india, which is a democratic country?? The trade union here are no less than goons. They have the power to bend the management to their demands Its almost like trade unions and strikes sound synonymous nowadays...

Given the long history of dharnas, its highly improbable tht big techie companies wud like to open up full fledged independent production units here in india...they wud still prefer the import way than take risks with the labor unions, higher costs and govt. levied duties here

Safin

simple

trade unions are in power in china