GUANGZHOU - A whistleblower is looking for a new job after he blogged about shoddy subway construction in this Guangdong provincial capital.

On Aug 30, two and a half months before the opening of the Guangzhou Asian Games, 69-year-old engineer Zhong Jizhang wrote that the intensity of the concrete used in the construction of the subway's Line 3 northern extension failed to meet national standards.

He further claimed that the concrete's inferiority and possible hazards were intentionally covered up by the contractor.

Zhong, a former engineer at the Guangzhou Suijian Center of Engineering Quality and Safety Monitoring, was the deputy chief of an inspection team examining the quality of the project.

His revelation later attracted attention from the media and sparked a host of coverage.

Zhang said he found the substandard concrete intensity as early as October 2009, and accused his boss of concealing the problems after taking a bribe from the contractor, according to Guangzhou-based New Express Daily.

After Zhong made the claim, Guangzhou Mayor Wan Qingliang urged relevant government departments to launch a thorough investigation on the city's metro projects.

As a result, the project's contractor was blacklisted and banned from bidding for any project in Guangzhou in the near future.

The Guangzhou urban-rural construction committee then established an independent panel of experts to evaluate and inspect the project's construction. The experts said the construction quality met the safety standards and no reinforcement work was needed.

However, the experts' verdict did not convince Zhong, who insisted the national standard must be strictly implemented.

After his online disclosure, Zhong's company notified him that his contract would expire at the end of December and would not be extended.

Zhong, a graduate from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a veteran engineer of bridges and tunnels, said he is now busy looking for employment, the New Express Daily reported.

"I never regret (exposing the safety problems) as I told the truth and satisfied my conscience," Zhong was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

It was worth doing and he did not hate his employer, he added.

The Guangzhou Suijian Center of Engineering Quality and Safety Monitoring refused to comment on the case on Tuesday.

Zhong quickly became a hero among local netizens, once earning the nickname Maosiye, or "Death-defying Grandpa".

Chen Fanghong, a Guangzhou white-collar worker, said Zhong should not face retaliation by his employer just because he spoke the truth.

"Zhong dared to tell the truth under pressure and his behavior should be respected and encouraged," Chen said.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/09/2011 page4)