PLKLFC-Cosmopolitan-Olympics

It has been a difference year for china, which is preparing to host the Olympics in August. It began massive snow storms which killed dozens and left millions of migrant workers stranded at train station.
Then came the Tibetan riots, which sparked criticism of china's human right record .The violence led to calls for a boycott of the Olympics, and triggered chaotic scenes during the Olympic torch relays in Paris, London and other cities .
But none was as heart- wrenching as the deadly earthquake that struck Sichuan which has left 80,000 peoples dead or missing sensational photos were splashed across newspapers worldwide -- parents weep besides the bodies of students' rescuers digging for survivors, and soldiers walking along bumpy mountain roads to reach devastated areas.
And most significantly, foreign journalists were allowed to report freely in the country. Within an hour after the quake, state media announced the news of the tragedy has since given wide coverage to the rescue efforts.
About 50,000 soldiers were dispatched to join the rescue teams that day. The prompt response has not only saved China's image in the eyes of foreigners.
International Federation of the Red Cross praised China's reaction to the disaster. Singapore's newspapers described the response as "the most successful crisis management in China" so far, suggesting that the free flow of information would win people's support.
There's no doubt that the Chinese government has been open in dealing with the earthquake. But it doesn't mean it has adopted an open policy. In the case of the earthquake, the government is confident it can respond promptly and mobilize the PLA and the public. The government allowed almost 100% media access because they understood it is something positive. The Tibetan riots, on the other hand, would provide a negative image.

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• PLKLFC
• Cosmopolitan
• Olympics