[Beijing Diary] Burning Beijing

"I have worked as an expatriate in China for over 8 years since the early 2010s, but unfortunately, I think now is the worst time."

A senior executive of a major corporation I recently met shook his head and assessed life in Beijing, China, this way. Business downturn, increasingly strained Korea-China relations, work restrictions due to risks from the Anti-Espionage Law and Foreign Relations Law, and the scorching weather. He explained that it is becoming an increasingly difficult city to live in both professionally and personally.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The heat in Beijing is notorious. From mid-June, daytime temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius have become commonplace, and there was even a case where a tour guide leading tourists died of heatstroke. This happened at the famous tourist spot in the heart of Beijing, Yiheyuan (Summer Palace). Recently, a man in his 60s died inside his home showing symptoms suspected to be heatstroke; although there was an air conditioner in the house, it was turned off, and the man's body temperature was reported to be 41 degrees Celsius by local media.

On mobile phones, warning messages advising people to avoid going outside due to severe heat arrive almost daily. From last month until the 6th of this month, the number of days with temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius in Beijing reached 19. Days with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius were 5, both setting records for the highest since weather observations began in 1961.

Middle-aged men with protruding bellies are strolling the streets with their tank tops rolled up to their chests, a sight known as the ‘Beijing Bikini’ gradually appearing. Even Chinese people, who usually avoid cold drinks (they often drink beer or soda at room temperature), have started seeking iced beverages. According to the delivery service company Meituan, ice cream delivery sales surged 73% compared to the previous year over the past month, while sales of cold beer and beverages rose by 42% and 121%, respectively. The market is calling this the ‘summer economy’ and there are moves to link it to promotional activities.

While Beijing suffers from the burning heat, other regions are struggling with drought and heavy rain. The Hebei Provincial Water Resources Department recently announced that 750,000 hectares of farmland have been damaged due to drought. Last month, the average rainfall in the area was only 29mm, a 60% decrease compared to the previous year.

In the southwestern Chongqing area, 17 people died due to heavy rain. On the 3rd and 4th, localized rainfall exceeding 250mm within 24 hours caused landslides. In Dunhua City, Jilin Province in the north, hail the size of eggs fell around the same time, breaking car windows. According to China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, the scale of damage from natural disasters such as floods, hail, drought, and snow disasters in China during the first half of this year affected 48,764,000 people and resulted in 95 deaths.

In China, where everything is big, numerous, and long-lasting, natural disasters including heatwaves can be a daily occurrence. In fact, fatal accidents or heatwave warnings do not become major topics locally. The Chinese government must also feel a sense of crisis about climate change, which simultaneously sounds alarms in many places and threatens the lives of the people. This should be the ‘core interest’ that China always emphasizes so strongly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.