An earthquake warning system developed by a hi-tech start-up in Sichuan province has won a contract from Haiti, giving China a foothold in a field dominated by Japan.
Meihuan Technology, based in Chengdu, signed a strategic co-operation agreement on Sunday with I.Trade, an international trade company in Haiti, to provide the hardware and technology that would give Haitian residents an earthquake warning of up to 30 seconds before the arrival of its devastating impact, Huaxi Metropolis News reported.
Haiti was hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in 2010.
Meihuan founder Dr Wang Tun said yesterday that his company's system performed to a very high standard during trials in Sichuan and passed the provincial authorities' quality inspection. An investment of US$3 million could provide earthquake warnings for the whole of Haiti while offering the same, if not better, speed and accuracy of a rival system from Japan.
'Our research and development aims for high accuracy, low cost and a simple-to-use interface,' Wang said. 'Even farmers can understand, operate and maintain the equipment.'
I.Trade president and CEO Hantz Fevry, told Huaxi Metropolis News his company would hold a six-month trial of the system in an area of 4,000 square kilometres, about 15 per cent of Haiti's total area. It would take about two years to extend the service to the entire country.
'I have studied many earthquake warning systems around the world and found the Chinese system most suitable to Haiti,' he said. 'Japanese warning systems need the internet to transmit information, but this system only needs radio, which is more suitable for Haiti.'