Road to 5**﹕Traffic congestion on National Day
【明報專訊】◆Source A
Comrades, there would be no new China without the Communist Party, and there would be no traffic congestion as severe as that without new China! There would be no "Road and Cars initiative" without the congestion…
◆Source Ｂ
There is a simple reason for the severe congestion on National Day: there were too many cars. There are more than 10 million registered cars in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, and Dongguan altogether. Despite the purchase restrictions, 80,000 new cars are registered every month in these four cities. Cars in such large numbers are ticking bombs. When triggered by outside circumstances, they cause uncontrollable severe congestion.
-an abridged translation of an article written by Cheung Chi-kong and published in Ming Pao on 2017.10.12
◆Interpretation of the cartoon
1. Topic sentence：
The cartoon depicts the severe traffic congestion at Guangshen Expressway during the ''Golden Week Holiday'' in 2017. The cartoonist satirises the situation by linking the problem of traffic congestion to the central government's governance and policies.
2. Description of the cartoon：
The cartoon shows a road filled with cars unable to move. The background is black, implying that the congestion lasts all day.
3. Interpretation of the cartoon：
The words "there would be no new China without the Communist Party, and there would be no traffic congestion as severe as such without new China!" convey the cartoonist's view that the Chinese government is to blame for issues such as traffic congestion. He thinks that the central government fails to pay attention to domestic issues and planning, and the people's daily lives suffer as a result.
■Question and answering guidelines
How is the traffic congestion at Guangshen Expressway during the National Day holiday related to China's development?
．Too much emphasis on diplomacy at the expense of the handling of domestic issues
The Communist Party of China(CPC) has been determined to build foreign relations to enhance its global influence and explore new markets. The Belt and Road Initiative is, for example, intended to open up new markets overseas and establish China's leadership abroad. The CPC might have overlooked domestic issues (such as transportation infrastructure), resulting in traffic congestion during holidays such as the National Day.
．Failure of infrastructure to catch up with development
The income and living standards of people in China have improved. However, its infrastructure has failed to catch up with development, which has resulted in many problems. For example, the number of car owners has continued to increase in recent years, but the country's road network is unable to cope with the growth.
．Close ties between Hong Kong and mainland causing strain on roads
An important aspect of ''reform and opening up'' and the development of China is the connection between the mainland and Hong Kong. In recent years, the ''Individual Visit Scheme'' has made it easy for mainlanders to visit Hong Kong. Hong Kong people also go to the mainland frequently. The frequent interactions between people in the two regions are causing an extra strain on the roads, resulting in traffic congestion during holidays such as the ''Golden Week''.
Text: 唐金輝, liberal studies teacher at ST. Joan of Arc Secondary School
Translation: Terence Yip
[通通識 第531期]
