Thread by @manyapan

Are wildfire responses a measure of state power in the U.S.-China rivalry? Trending hashtag on Weibo today: "Why Didn't Los Angeles Learn From the Chongqing Firefighting?" (洛杉矶为何学不了重庆救火). Initiated by Beijing Daily, the topic compares the handling of the LA fires to efforts to control mountain fires in Chongqing in August of 2022.

In a Beijing Daily op-ed, Bao Nan (鲍南) argues that, despite well-known fire risks, the LA fires represent a "completely man-made disaster" ("彻头彻尾的 '人祸'") for which US government cannot escape accountability. Bao: "The fire chief seemed more focused on LGBT initiatives."

Bao suggests that the way of handling wildfires is a reflection of the priorities and, ultimately, power of a state. He raises the example of how China handled the mountain fires raging in Chongqing in '22 that spanned 3 km in width in an area lacking water & infrastructure.

Here's a link to a short article I wrote about the Chongqing fires, highlighting how the people who joined forces to battle the fire under extreme weather conditions were celebrated as the "heroes of the city": whatsonweibo.com/true-heroes-of…

An important method used to contain the wildfires in Chongqing is ‘fighting fire with fire.’ With the help of all the people at the scene, Chinese specialized teams used controlled fires to prevent more forest fires by burning the fuel that could feed another fire. People’s Daily, at the time, dedicated a Weibo hashtag page to this special and sometimes risky tactic of controlled burning (“以火灭火”) (重庆北碚山火中的反向点火战术). According to Chinese media, this firefighting tactic was decisive in containing the fire.

In his op-ed, Bao Nan sees a difference in how Chinese society mobilized, organized, united in fighting the fires. At the time you had all these motorcycle riders, common volunteers, who drove on and off with supplies (see in video in tweet below).

Arguing that the ability to fight disasters is a critical indicator of a nation's governance, Bao writes that differences in governance models between China and the U.S. are at the root of their contrasting disaster responses.

"Superheroes in American blockbusters may stir up some passion for a moment, but when facing actual disasters, we don't need solitary heroes, but the power of group solidarity."

Unsurprisingly, Bao Nan concludes by suggesting that China is the superior power ("Who can organize the people, unite them, win their trust? Who buries their head in the sand, pretending not to hear, shrugging off responsibility? What demonstrates the superiority of a system? It's obvious."