China

Fragility of the Chinese Mind

I’m writing this entry out of frustration, because to be honest I’ve just been amazed by the behaviour of many Chinese recently. As I mentioned in my last entry, amid the ongoing radiation fears following the earthquake in Japan that crippled several nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant, residents in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai rushed out to buy iodized salt. Why?

Published

10 years ago

April 4, 2011

Zhong Li

I’m writing this entry out of frustration, because to be honest I’ve just been amazed by the behaviour of many Chinese recently.
As I mentioned in my last entry, amid the ongoing radiation fears following the earthquake in Japan that crippled several nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant, residents in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai rushed out to buy iodized salt.

Why? Because someone had spread a rumour on the Internet that eating iodized salt prevents the body absorbing radiation.
Many supermarkets sold out of their six-month supply of salt supply in a single day. In Beijing, where I work, there was a 100-metre-long line of people waiting in front of a salt manufacturing company. Many unscrupulous traders increased the price of salt by anything from double to five times. Once the run on salt had settled down, the media focused on reports that producers of personal care products, including Unilever, would … Read More…
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Fragility of the Chinese Mind

China

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East Asia Forum

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China

Will Myanmar’s coup help China influence ASEAN?

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Henrick Z Tsjeng

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China

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Published

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The World Economic Forum

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