"China is believed to be less vulnerable than many industrialized countries to the millennium bug due to its relatively low level of computerization."

Is this an example of the spin control or what. I would dare to ask this writer exactly how does he or she suppose the government, telecommunications, transportation and energy sector run their industries. Manually? While it may be true that China is still a very rural country, it is by some standards a modern one as well. This kind of BS makes little sense to me and I wonder how many other article will appear with this declaimer.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will conduct an extensive millennium test of its electric power industry between August 31 and September 10, the official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday.

The test would cover all electricity supply systems, power generators and power-backed telecommunications systems in nearly all provinces, Xinhua said.

The agency quoted a circular by the State Economic and Trade Commission as saying local power suppliers must try their best to ensure normal power supply during the test but users should be prepared for possible power cuts.

The test would start on August 31 at 10 p.m. (1400 GMT) and end on September 10 at 1 a.m. (1700 GMT September 9), Xinhua said.

It gave no further details.

China is believed to be less vulnerable than many industrialized countries to the millennium bug due to its relatively low level of computerization.

Its financial sector underwent nationwide Y2K testing in June and July, both reported to be successful. A third test will be conducted next month.

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), August 24, 1999

Answers

I hope the satellites show a great big dark area on the globe. For my money China can go dark and stay dark. If some of these countries around the world have to plant and harvest crops by hand,and process by candle light, perhaps they won't have time or inclination to be trying to conquer their neighbors. If the US had only itself to worry about, maybe we could get it back on track.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), August 24, 1999.

Taz,

You are not thinking this morning about our beloved Kmarts, Walmarts, Costco's, Sam's club, JCPenneys, Sears and the many others that rely on cheap political prisoner type labor that is available in China.

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), August 24, 1999.

It's OT, but while we're mentioning China and bugs... With China in control of the Panama Canal they face an interesting dilemma going into Y2K because they do control the canal. Without computerized tracking of shipping containers which may spend time on the ground in Panama before continuing on to China, certain real-life bugs we Americans love to hate may make their way to mainland China.

Could anything be more of a "just desserts" than for China to face a Y2K invasion from FIRE ANTS and KILLER BEES accidentally imported from their base in Panama? And if I'm right on this, the climate in China is just what these bugs like.

So might we see either the killer bee or the fire ant being the official Y2K bug of China?

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), August 24, 1999.