(Report from Irish TImes correspondent in China):

CHINA TAKES ON FEARS OF Y2K AIR RISK

Before he became a top executive in Air China, Mr Zhang Fugui had a successful career as an airline pilot, flying many important missions since he got his licence in 1961, including flights with Communist Party leaders on board. Now, as deputy director-general of the country's international carrier, Mr Zhang is about to take the controls of a commercial aircraft once more, to fly a very special mission. On December 31st, he will pilot an aircraft from the provincial city of Shenzhen to Beijing. There he will hand over the controls to his boss, Air China director general Mr Wang Lian, another veteran pilot, who will take the plane back to Shenzhen on January 1st.

These pioneers of commercial flight in China are leading by example to show their confidence in the country's ability to overcome Y2K computer problems. Whether they volunteered or not is unknown, but the communist government certainly let them know this was expected of them. Mr Lu Zongping, of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, has told reporters in Beijing that China's airlines will maintain a full schedule on January 1st of 300 domestic and 20 foreign flight routes. The president of China Eastern Airlines will also make a "transmillennium" flight from Beijing to Shanghai. "We have no plans to cancel flights," Mr Lu said. China has been criticised in the West as one of the industrialised countries least prepared for coping with the Y2K problem, which on January 1st could cause the malfunction of computers controlling such things as lifts, bank teller machines, airport navigation systems and electric power grids. This is because relatively old computers and microchips, many still in use in China, are programmed to recognise only the last two digits of each year and will confuse the year 2000 (Y2K) with 1900 unless modified. Beijing's international community has approached the end of the millennium with some trepidation; many diplomatic families have been sent home and embassies have been stocking up on water, food and cash. Practically no one has booked an international flight over the New Year. Already some problems have surfaced, such as the government issue of thousands of five-year passports in January with expiration dates in 1904. But officials say these have largely been sorted out and that there will be no chaos at midnight on December 31st. "The willingness of airline directors to fly indicates their strong confidence that they have solved the problem," says Ms Zhang Qi, the senior official in charge of coping with the crisis. China is "basically ready" to meet the New Year.

No big losses will occur in the most important sectors of the economy, such as aviation, banking, finance, telecommunications, electric power, water supply and transport, says Ms Zhang. These "national lifeline" sectors should be OK. She does admit that some regions and enterprises have practically ignored the problem, but "the impact won't be that great" as these are in underdeveloped parts of the country. The cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin and the province of Sichuan have secured 90 per cent compliance in Y2K modification . Mr Chen Jing, technical director of China's central bank, says contingency plans had been made to clear transactions and make extra cash available to banks. "The public should rest assured that no problem will occur in the supply of cash," he says.

An official of the State Power Corporation says power will be guaranteed, following tests on 60,000 sets of equipment when clocks were adjusted to simulate January 1st.

-- Risteard MacThomais (uachtaran@ireland.com), December 03, 1999

Answers

Hey, if Garvey and Koskinen can't find a USA based airline to fly them, do you reckon we could persuade China to donate a plane? :)

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), December 03, 1999.