保路(baolu): Battle for the railway

In a bid to get a proposed railway route to pass through their area, residents of Linshui county, Southwest China's Sichuan province, assembled to voice their appeal on May 16. However, their demonstration escalated into violent conflicts with the police and 68 people were injured. Several such incidents have occurred recently as residents along proposed new lines strive to get a stop at their location in order to benefit from the transport link. The incidents highlight the under-development in these regions.

The benefits that a railway brings to an area are obvious. Railways are an important driver of local GDP, as they not only provide quicker and more convenient transportation, they also attract more investments and visitors. In Shaoyang, Hunan province, some residents even claimed they would remove the local officials from office if they failed to win the bid of high speed railway construction.

However, regional development should depend on a long-term, all-round strategy that focuses more on the distribution of resources, reform and innovation, rather than just the construction of a railway. And the route of a railway should be decided according to scientific planning rather than public appeals. The battle for railways is a test of the a local authority's administrative competence as it involves wisely considering public opinion and scientific policy-making.