New ideas needed to build cities

Rebuilding an old nation involves far more difficulties than people may ordinarily think. At times, it takes the people's resolution to fight common threats despite personal grievances, as seen from the massive rescue efforts following the Sichuan earthquake last week, in which all citizens have either physically or financially participated.

But in public finance and development planning, televised scenes of devastated mountainous towns in western Sichuan are symbolic of a challenge that will be many times the cost of the current rescue mission.

China should help Sichuan, much of whose economy is dangerously perched on quake-prone mountains, build a re-development zone in a geologically safer area.