Mandate of Heaven: An Analysis of China\u27s Government Disaster Response and CCP Performance Legitimacy

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the Chinese government’s disaster response over the past two decades, analyze any patterns or recurring management behaviors, and understand the government’s overall emergency response capability. Disaster response is one area that reflects the Chinese Communist Party’s ability to govern and exhibit performance legitimacy. As an authoritarian regime, the CCP relies on repression and performance to maintain its authority, especially so when national disasters occur. During times of crisis, the CCP is expected to maintain control and minimize potentially negative consequences. Not doing so results in a potential image crisis and loss of legitimacy. The cases studied in this thesis were the 2005 Songhua River benzene spill, the 2008 winter storms, the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, the 2015 Tianjin warehouse explosions, and the 2016 June and July floods. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake was the deadliest disaster in a generation and provides the most thorough example to investigate China’s government disaster response capabilities. Two of these crises were industrial chemical accidents near or in major Chinese cities. The remaining two were weather disasters spread over a large area that required a far-reaching and coordinated government response across multiple provinces. Each of these sets displays a type of national disaster that China experiences regularly. In conclusion, the investigation makes two conclusions about the government’s disaster response capabilities. First, the central government is able to make extensive use of its overall authority and hierarchical structure to mobilize state resources on a massive scale. This includes the CCP’s control of the People’s Liberation Army and state emergency personnel, the government’s economic authority to impose immediate regulatory measures, and ability to gather and distribute physical resources. Second, the CCP seeks to avert an image crisis to maintain a veneer of performance legitimacy. Two common tactics are repressing investigative journalism and jailing critics while molding an image of a paternalistic and protecting state through compassionate moral performance. However, the necessity for this last conclusions hints at why such practices are necessary in the first place. The CCP’s rush for economic growth, lack of accountability, and propensity for corruption among other things are the very factors that have allowed disasters to become crises. Extreme measures are necessitated because the system the Party has built is prone to crisis. Without fundamental change, the CCP will continue facing such crises in the foreseeable future

Application of Variance Analyses Comparison in Seismic Damage Assessment of Masonry Buildings Using Three Simplified Indexes

The reasonable assessment of potential damage type of masonry structures in seismic-prone zone is very significant to strengthen existing masonry structures and guide the construction of the new building. The primary objective of the study is to propose and determine a reasonable assessment index to predict the damage type of masonry structures in different seismic intensity zones using the survey results of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and variance analyses comparison methods. Three potential theory assessment indexes are considered in the evaluation of damage of masonry structures, including wall density index Iw, strength index Isq, and combined index Isd. In order to compare the feasibility of the three indexes, One-way analysis of variance and Scheffé’s method were used for in-depth discussion. Based on the proposed assessment indexes, further analyses and recommendations were provided. Results show the combined index Isd has a high potential to predict the damage levels of masonry structures. Based on the study, several recommendations were provided for the masonry structures in seismic-prone zones

Tectonic signals documented in gravel and silt beds : A comprehensive review of the eastern Tibetan plateau

Acknowledgements This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42207239) and National Nonprofit Fundamental Research Grant of China, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration (IGCEA1906). We gratefully acknowledge the editors of the journal and the anonymous reviewers for their useful and detailed comments and suggestions to improve the original submission.Peer reviewedPostprin

Simplified Density Indexes of Walls and Tie-Columns for Confined Masonry Buildings in Seismic Zones

This paper discusses and quantifies the minimum requirements of walls and tie-columns in confined masonry (CM) buildings located in earthquake-prone regions. A research database including 238 damaged CM buildings obtained from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake survey is established and comprehensively examined. The requirements of masonry walls in CM buildings are discussed, and a simplified tie-column density index is proposed for evaluating the potential damage of the structures. Besides, the minimum requirements of reinforced concrete tie-columns and their maximum allowable spacing in CM buildings at different seismic intensity zones are discussed

Heritage, Identity and Sense of Place in Sichuan Province after the 12 May Earthquake in China

At 14.28 on 12 May 2008, a massive earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale struck Wenchuan County in Sichuan Province. Causing widespread destruction, it was considered to be the most severe earthquake in Ch ina's history, and indeed one of the worst in the world. Drawing on the results of an ethnographic study carried out in the disaster areas between 2009 and 2013, this research explores the impact of the earthquake on cultural heritage, popular memory, memorialisation and tourism in Sichuan. Critically examining the complex, overlapping relationships between heritage, identity and sense of place in post-disaster Sich uan. I argue that historical sites that come to mark tragic events are not simply commemorative or historically important because a disastrous event has occurred, but that they are instead places which are continuously negotiated, constructed and reconstructed into places of meaning through on-going human action. While traditional interpretation of these sites are usually viewed as static ones, they are actually dynamic sites that both generate and are informed by official, popular and individual memory through acts of localised and non-localised place production and consumption. By focusing on the practice of disaster tourism in post-disaster Sichuan, this study aims to contribute to the growing body of research on 'dark' tourism. It demonstrates the central role played in studies of cultural heritage by cultural and geographical concepts of identity and representation, highlighting the polities of heritage. It will also contribute to a growing literature on the significance of embodied practice, in this case with regard to the use and performance of tragic places. To sum up, the research explores cul tu re, the politics of space and the relationship between consumption, memory and identity to reveal the tensions and paradoxical agendas which surround heritage tourism landscapes in a postdisaster context. The findings of this research are relevant to planners, conservationists and other publ ic agencies involved in cultural recovery processes in Asia's emerging economies, and they also have policy implications for the various levels of government involved.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Damage induced by the 25 April 2015 Nepal earthquake in the Tibetan border region of China and increased post-seismic hazards

The seismic effects in Nyalam, Gyirong, Tingri and Dinggye counties along the southern border of Tibet were investigated during 2–8 May 2015, a week after the great Nepal earthquake along the Main Himalaya Thrust. The intensity was VIII in the region and reached IX at two towns on the Nepal border, resulting in the destruction of 2700 buildings, seriously damaging over 40&thinsp;000 others, while killing 27 people and injuring 856 in this sparsely populated region. The main geologic effects in this steep rugged region are collapses, landslides, rockfalls, and ground fissures, many of which are reactivations of older land slips. These did great damage to the buildings, roads, and bridges in the region. Most of the effects are along four incised valleys which are controlled by N-trending rifts and contain rivers that pass through the Himalaya Mountains and flow into Nepal; at least two of the larger aftershocks occurred along the normal faults. And, the damage is not related to the faulting of N-trending rifts but rather is distributed along the intensity of Nepal earthquake. Areas weakened by the earthquake pose post-seismic hazards. Another main characteristic of damage is the recurrence of the old landslide and rockfalls. In addition, there is an increased seismic hazard along active N-trending grabens in southern Tibet due to the shift in stress resulting from the thrust movement that caused the Nepal earthquake. NW-trending right-lateral strike-slip faults also may be susceptible to movement. The results of the findings are incorporated in some principle recommendations for the repair and reconstruction after the earthquake.</p

Civil society under authoritarian rule: disasters, social capital, and their consequences in Chinese state-society relations

This dissertation addresses the question “how disasters change state-society relations under authoritarian rule?” Specifically, I investigate how space and social capital were created after major earthquakes and the relationships between local governments and civil society organizations (CSOs). Based on four years of interviews conducted with government officials and CSO leaders and two rounds of surveys in 126 villages in rural Sichuan province, utilizing experiments, focus groups, and interviews, I argue that social capital and space for CSOs were created after major earthquakes. Adding to the literature of consultative authoritarianism and graduated control, I demonstrate that within the newly created space, local governments use a deliberate differentiation strategy towards different CSOs. Such differentiation is more driven by the state’s interest to extract productivity and outsource responsibility for public goods provision by regime-supporting CSOs, and less dictated by the state’s need to acquire information from regime-challenging CSOs with collective action potential. Such approach contributes to the authoritarian resilience in China. Despite the interference from the state from above, the newly created space also faces challenges from the private sphere with individual citizens being skeptical of the CSO sector due to limited interactions, mismatch of criteria, institutional constraints, and lack of civility. I then draw from the qualitative data and construct a dynamic framework of state-society relations under an authoritarian state after disasters by starting from co-operational, complementary, competitive, and confrontational relations, and end up in either co-optation or confrontation in the long run. Finally, I trace the development of the newly drafted charity law and the foreign NGO law. I argue that the state-organized legalization process would first allow the state to use the “zone of indifference” to get to know the new developments in the public sphere. Then, through a process of toleration, participation, initiation, replication, and bifurcation, the state manages to extract productivity from, and outsource responsibility to, the regime-supporting players, and drive out the regime challenging ones. The laws, made through this process, is also vulnerable to state intervention at any time, and therefore, prevents China from having a meaningful civil society.2020-02-22T00:00:00

Experimental Assessment on the Hysteretic Behavior of a Full-Scale Traditional Chinese Timber Structure Using a Synchronous Loading Technique

In traditional Chinese timber structures, few tie beams were used between columns, and the column base was placed directly on a stone base. In order to study the hysteretic behavior of such structures, a full-scale model was established. The model size was determined according to the requirements of an eighth grade material system specified in the architectural treatise Ying-zao-fa-shi written during the Song Dynasty. In light of the vertical lift and drop of the test model during horizontal reciprocating motions, the horizontal low-cycle reciprocating loading experiments were conducted using a synchronous loading technique. By analyzing the load-displacement hysteresis curves, envelope curves, deformation capacity, energy dissipation, and change in stiffness under different vertical loads, it is found that the timber frame exhibits obvious signs of self-restoring and favorable plastic deformation capacity. As the horizontal displacement increases, the equivalent viscous damping coefficient generally declines first and then increases. At the same time, the stiffness degrades rapidly first and then decreases slowly. Increasing vertical loading will improve the deformation, energy-dissipation capacity, and stiffness of the timber frame

Parametric Study on Self-centering Precast Concrete Frames with Hysteretic Dampers

The self-centering precast concrete frame structure combines the advantages of industrialization and low earthquake damage, and its energy dissipation capacity and seismic performance have always been the focus of research. This paper proposed a kind of self-centering precast concrete frame with hysteretic dampers (SCPCHD). Its modular design makes the energy dissipation device and components easy to repair and replace. In order to obtain the optimal design, the finite element models of SCPCHD frames with different layout types of post-tensioned (PT) tendons and different shapes of hysteretic dampers are established, and the elastoplastic dynamic time-history analyses are carried out. The results show that the layout types and vertical margin of PT tendons have little effect on the displacement response of the frame structure. Compared to linear PT tendons, polygonal PT tendons can better bear the bending moment of the beam and reduce the stress of longitudinal reinforcements in the beam. The reduce effect of shortening the vertical margin on the tensile damage of beam concrete is obvious in the frame with polygonal PT tendons, but not obvious in the frame with linear PT tendons. Rational design of the prestressing force also plays a crucial role in the energy dissipation capacity of SCPCHD frames

Application of Variance Analyses Comparison in Seismic Damage Assessment of Masonry Buildings Using Three Simplified Indexes

The reasonable assessment of potential damage type of masonry structures in seismic-prone zone is very significant to strengthen existing masonry structures and guide the construction of the new building. The primary objective of the study is to propose and determine a reasonable assessment index to predict the damage type of masonry structures in different seismic intensity zones using the survey results of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and variance analyses comparison methods. Three potential theory assessment indexes are considered in the evaluation of damage of masonry structures, including wall density index , strength index , and combined index . In order to compare the feasibility of the three indexes, One-way analysis of variance and Scheffé’s method were used for in-depth discussion. Based on the proposed assessment indexes, further analyses and recommendations were provided. Results show the combined index has a high potential to predict the damage levels of masonry structures. Based on the study, several recommendations were provided for the masonry structures in seismic-prone zones