River ships 'less resistant to high winds'

China Daily reporter Zhao Lei interviews Cui Yiliang, editor-in-chief of Modern Ships magazine:

How could a strong wind overturn a large ship like the Eastern Star?

A: Almost all ships that sail in rivers have a shallow draft and a high center of gravity, which makes them less resistant to strong wind compared with naval vessels. It is not the designers' fault, but the result of careful calculation and consideration of the river conditions. As far as I know, the Eastern Star is designed to withstand a hurricane at Level 10 on the Beaufort scale. However, extensive inner decorations or structural changes would have diminished its wind resistance.