From Chinese Press

Demolitions not vital for growth

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-11-08 08:42

Forced demolitions in the country have come in for severe criticism. But a local official in Jiangxi province recently warned critics, especially intellectuals, not to bite the hands that feed them. The official's warning reflects the reality of local GDP growth, says an article in Yangtze Evening News. Excerpts:

The Jiangxi local official is not the first to overestimate the role of demolitions in the country's economic development. Some people even claim that New China would have been a fairytale without demolitions.

It has become a trend among some local governments to raze old buildings and build new, taller ones in their place to increase their GDP growth, even though their social wealth has not actually increased.

The craving for quick returns has made some local officials deaf to the policy proposal for economic transformation. They say building a knowledge-based economy and technology innovation needs immense inputs which may not yield immediate profit. That explains why local governments are so obsessed with demolitions.

Sometimes demolitions are unavoidable for economic development, but local governments should not take this as an excuse to compromise economic development in the long run. More importantly, local officials should respect dissenting voices, be it advice or criticism.