"Could the answer be that China attributes a lesser value to human life?"

That's one of the conclusions I was struggling with as I spent time there last year. They have horrible safety controls in almost all of their industries, pollution controls have been non-existent up until very recent years, quality control in food production is spotty, and quality of medical and dental care is also very poor for what is considered an industrialized nation.

China's problems, as we've all seen, are very deep, and are seeded in their national identity. The general populace sees it as the Communist government's role to make every decision for them, and it is taking a long long time for any effective change in that mindset. It's coming, but it's still going to be years before anything significant happens.

There are other stories about athletes choosing not to be in Beijing. I can't find the link (yet), but when I was over there last summer there was a story about a Chinese national team choosing not to train in Beijing because of the poor air quality.