THE SANXIA PROJECT - A PRETEXT FOR CRITICIZING DECISION-MAKING IN THEPRC

The Sanxia project is a controversial dam project to be constructed ac ross the Yangtze River. Its main functions are flood control, electric ity production and improvement of shipping conditions. The constructio n of the dam involves inundating large land areas, resettling more tha n 1 million people, and irreversible environmental impacts. The projec t was endorsed by the People's National Congress in April 1992. The de bate about the project is mainly a bureaucratic debate; however, it ha s two dimensions: a technical one and a political one. The technical d ebate concerns the project proper, such as the size, resettlement prob lem, silt problem, environmental impacts and so on. The Sanxia project also became a cloak of legitimacy to criticize the political system a nd the decision-making process in general: the lack of democratic and scientific policymaking processes, one-sidedness in debates, lack of f reedom of the press, and monopoly on public opinion by a small group o f people.