On July 16, 2010, an oil pipeline exploded in the northeastern port Dalian causing a major fire and an oil spill that polluted the nearby sea. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, the cleanup of the oil spill will take much longer.

The Dalian incident has echoes of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which has been called the worst disaster to hit America since the 9/11 attacks. Although the flow of oil into the gulf was recently stopped, the cleanup will take many years and economic losses are incalculable. The Obama administration is taking much of the blame.

The two accidents are not directly connected but have points in common. The Associated Press estimated 1,500 tons of oil poured into the sea around Dalian. That amounts to roughly 400,000 gallons, compared with the 94-184 million gallons spilled off the US coast. How much the environment can endure and what governments can do faced with such disasters, are questions on everyone's lips. Even the most powerful state in the world, the United States seemed helpless faced with the BP spill. We need to ask how governments can rise to meet the challenge.

The question has been posed by a series of recent major disasters including the 2008 Sichuan earthquake and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. These events turned the spotlight on the role of government. The traditional functions of government focused on guarding against external threats and providing public services. But major catastrophes have pointed up a gap in the capabilities of governments. This gap needs to be filled, in both capitalist and socialist states.

The ability to handle major accidents and environmental disasters has massive implications for a government's public image and popularity. Governments need to take up the challenge and build their capabilities accordingly. It was the perceived failure to take urgent action that affected the public standing of the Obama administration.

Chinese government also needs to learn the lessons of the gulf oil spill. Although the response to the Dalian oil spill was swift and effective, as China's economy grows, people expect more and more from government – services such as consular protection, for example, as well as prompt and effective crisis management. Powerful governments capable of handling major incidents are in line with the trend of human history. The transformation will be as great as anything brought about by 9/11. We need to keep an eye on the damage wrought by disasters like the BP oil spill, but an even closer watch on how governments adapt to meet the challenges they pose.