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International Herald Leader: China needs a Ministry of National Emergencies

The International Herald Leader, a publication under Xinhua, stated in a commentary that there is a need to form a cross-functional “Ministry of National Emergencies” under the State Council.

The commentary said that the existing “Command Center,” “Group of Leaders,” or “Rescue Center” in China appear to be temporary, unprofessional, and not in conformance with international standards. It named the Homeland Security Department in the U.S. and the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Russia as the models for China to follow.

“If the answer had been yes to the question about a Ministry of National Emergencies, then the current investigation of the high speed train incident could have been handled by this Ministry rather than the ‘Specialist Team’ set up by the authorities in the Ministry of Railways.” The commentary observed that, provided there was no security leakage issue, the ministry could have invited high speed train experts from countries such as Japan and Germany to conduct a joint investigation to identify the causes.

Source: Xinhua, August 5, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2011-08/05/c_131029052.htm