From Reuters. Again- international coverage is more thorough thtn US - for some strange reason......

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19990824/tc/yk_china_1.html

< Full Coverage Year 2000 Problem

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will conduct an extensive millennium test of its electric power industry between August 31 and September 10, the official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday.

The test would cover all electricity supply systems, power generators and power-backed telecommunications systems in nearly all provinces, Xinhua said.

The agency quoted a circular by the State Economic and Trade Commission as saying local power suppliers must try their best to ensure normal power supply during the test but users should be prepared for possible power cuts.

The test would start on August 31 at 10 p.m. (1400 GMT) and end on September 10 at 1 a.m. (1700 GMT September 9), Xinhua said.

It gave no further details.

China is believed to be less vulnerable than many industrialized countries to the millennium bug due to its relatively low level of computerization.

Its financial sector underwent nationwide Y2K testing in June and July, both reported to be successful. A third test will be conducted next month. >>

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Re-read the extent of the single "voluntary" 4 hour (?) long NERC test scheduled for Sept 9. Look at what they will actually check during that test, and then see who grid is more likely to be operable.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), August 27, 1999

Answers

Does China have a stock-market to worry about?

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous99.xxx), August 27, 1999.

I'm gonna get on a slow boat to China.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

If the power grid (with the biggest problem being pirated software) in China fails the test I wonder if China would then hold Taiwan hostage. You know China says to the U.N. we are taking back into our borders the rebellious state of Taiwan. But you know what we really need is help with all this software. Then the U.N. led by the U.S. puts together an aid package complete with Biil Gates and all the rest of the Global comp. wonderboys to tackle and fix this problem.

China has been snuggleing up to Russia and thats two votes on the security council right there.

Then after China is fixed Russia with all their ICBMs comes along and does the same damn thing!

Meanwhile back in the U.S. people are preparing for a 3 day storm.

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), August 27, 1999.

Yeah, 99. The Hansei in Hong Kong. And the Shanghai market, forget what it's called. But the Hong Kong market is huge.

-- (dot@dot.dot), August 27, 1999.

No, but the trouble is, they (Red China) are mentally preparing their own people for war to regain Taiwan, but are not going to that right away (next two weeks, anyway.

(It's the North Koreans who plan on testing their latest ICBM missile (with Chinese support) on or about Sept 9 to commenorate a North Korean national holiday of some kind.)

So, by the time the Chinese get around to invading Taiwan (possibly in October, more likely in January - remeber that Christmas and Jan 1 are not Chinese holidays!) , they will have tested their grid and infrasturcture (at the point of a gun) and we (and Japan, and South Korea, and Taiwan) will have done a 4 hour "voluntary drill"......

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), August 27, 1999.

A year or so back, I guessed that at some point soon the US government (in some manifestation) would walk in to a power plant, take it over, turn the clock, and then pick up the pieces. It's like sending one guy out on point - unpleasant for the one involved, but you gotta know what you're walking in to. If you want to protect the country, this is the obvious thing to do.

Can't believe I was stupid enough to think that we'd do it.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), August 27, 1999.

There was a simular post here earlier in the week.If there are major problems during this test, and if they actually get reported. This could be an event to get people attention. I think this could possiably be a pivotal event.

-- Interesting (Times@WeLiveIn.com), August 27, 1999.