Hocus-pocus it may be, but research centers and China experts are taking notice.

In an August 27, 2002, article, CNN's leading China analyst, Willy Wo-Lap Lam, listed the top ten indicators that China's current leadership has undertaken "disturbing manifestations of Cultural Revolution-style feudalism." Among them -- albeit at the bottom of the list -- lies a disturbing question, "A Universe out of Joint?"

In this section, Mr. Lam questions whether "the regime's somewhat tattered mandate of heaven is beyond mending?"

This "mandate of heaven" refers to the age-old belief among Chinese that the divine right to rule was not secured by the "will of men" alone, but granted by "heaven" (In this context, "heaven" referred not to a single divine being, but rather an all-pervading cosmic force). Should the leadership abuse its power, steer the nation awry or for some other reason lose this divine right to rule, the "mandate of heaven" can be revoked, making a change of leadership in the country not only inevitable but the "will of heaven."

According to Chinese elders, throughout China's history a tattered "Mandate of Heaven" would often manifest as calamities and natural disasters wreaking havoc on the country.

According to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters in Brussels, Belgium, there indeed appears to be something rotten in Beijing.

In the categories of Droughts/Famines, Earthquakes and Floods, the number of disasters recorded in the year 2001 exceeds those of any previously recorded year in history. In some categories, such as Droughts and Famines, the number of disasters is more than double the mean of all previously recorded years.

In August 2002, floods that threatened millions in Hunan Province, China made headline news around the world, and caused an estimated $5.4 billion in damages.

A report in the Hong Kong One Weekly observed that in June 2002: "about half of Mainland China was flooded by water and the other half faced an invasion of locusts."

Since April 2002, locust infestations have damaged many areas. Over the summer, a total of 14 provinces announced an emergency alert for locusts. The area around Tianjin had been one of the most severely affected. "Although airplanes are spraying insecticide day and night," stated one report on the locust invasions, "the destructive toll of the locusts continues to mount while hordes of the swarming insects move toward Beijing. "

In November 2002, an outbreak of an atypical pneumonia-type illness surfaced in China's southern Guangdong Province. According to Chinese authorities, 305 people were infected and five died.

Months later, an official from Guangdong admitted that as many as 20 may have died. Indeed, the true numbers involved are difficult to ascertain under a regime that strictly controls information relating to disease, large-scale accidents, social unrest and other "undesirable" elements. Some China watchers say dozens or even hundreds can die in China from such incidents with little or no coverage from outside media.

A few months later, a mystery pneumonia-type illness surfaced in Hong Kong, which borders Guangdong Province. According to CNN, the illness killed one man and infected more than 50 hospital staff both in Hong Kong and Vietnam. The outbreak was serious enough to cause the World Health Organization to issue a world-wide alert.

Medical doctors say the illness is not responding to treatment and has yet to be identified.

"Medical doctors, no doubt, will in time formulate a logical explanation for this latest outbreak," says Hong Chen, a 78-year-old Chinese man who lived most of his life on the outskirts of Beijing and now resides in New York City. "Seismologists, meteorologists and other specialists could give very rational explanations for the earthquakes, floods, sand storms and locust attacks, but I ask you...can you explain the forces at work that would cause all of these simultaneously?"

Mr. Chen concludes: "There's only one force I know of that directs all of these areas simultaneously -- the Will of Heaven. If you look at what Jiang Zemin and a few of his supporters have done in recent years, such as fueling already endemic corruption, the nation-wide persecution of the Falun Gong, widespread use of state-endorsed detention and torture, attacks on underground Christians and other religious groups, etc., it is no wonder that the heavens would shake with displeasure."

Be it God, Buddha, Heaven or a just a bizarre collection of "natural forces" aligned against China, one thing is clear: whatever forces may be dictating current disasters in China, "it" or "they" appear to be quite unhappy with the current state of affairs and making this distaste clear in no uncertain terms.