1) China’s response to the earthquake might be different from a response ten or twenty years ago because at the time the earthquake happened, the Chinese government were mainly focused on the Olympic Games. They were doing their best in order to satisfy the international audience and spectators that would come and watch China Olympic Games.
2) Market reforms in China have allowed many formerly lower class citizens join the middle class. In fact, between 200 and 300 millions Chinese have reached a status level above the poverty level. Thousands of jobs have been created and not only blue collar job but also white collar jobs. In china, the government is corrupted and people with money will have more power than a Chinese without any financial resources. Poor people in China feel powerless facing the government. However, the gap between rich and poor remains, the emergence of a middle class is the direct consequence of the development of the country.
3) China had to spend billion of dollars in the modernization of the country. This was in order to make the country attractive to foreigners who could come and spend their money in the country. The China desires to be a modern organization and so they want to open to the rest of the world.
4) What differs from the Katrina Hurricane and the earthquake is the respond of government to those natural disasters. In China, whereas thousands of people were died, China government forbade media to enter the country in order to inform people. On the other hand, the US government sated ups many governmental help towards disaster area and people. The Chinese government was more focused on the Beijing Olympic Games rather than on the disaster area and people of its own country.