China: construction on fast track

by S.H.C. de Silva

My first visit to the People's Republic of China was to present a paper at the 7th International Rainwater Catchments Systems Conference on June 21, 1995 in Beijing. I had the opportunity to see the Great Wall after a coach ride along Badalang Expressway on June 23, and also visit Tienanmen Square. The center of attention was the clock ticking away the time left for Hongkong to return to China's tutelage.

Though the square was replete with visiting Chinese and some tourists, the roads around had more push cycles than motor cars. The airport was that of a typical Asian country, full of people and approached by a raised highway. The access being tree lined gave the impression that China respected the environment and greening the countryside was the vision of its leaders.

I had the opportunity to visit Beijing again on November 19, 2001. This time it was to visit the France China Exhibition at the CIEC Exhibition Centre. The exhibition attracted French companies, an access to the Chinese Market which had opened its portals for a free market economy. There were less push bikes and more limousines and crossing the road became more serious decisions for the pedestrians.

The airport that welcomed me in 1995 had disappeared and was replaced by a sprawling complex that was replete with air-conditioning and electronic indicators. The road from the airport had been made an expressway with even toll gates signifying that access was to those who could pay. Western norms were entering the way of life. Traffic moved fast. More expressways were constructed and more high rises were in evidence.

The desire to green the landscape was pervasive with even floral treats and foliage grown on elevated tracks to transform rugged landscape to a scenario of a Hanging Garden. Construction had taken precedence with a flurry of activity on infrastructure and housing in Beijing and periurban areas.

A third visit as a member of the Sri Lanka-China Association invited to China by The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, CPAFFC, came to pass when five Sri Lankan delegates landed at Beijing Airport on September 22, 2004. This visit gave the delegates, chaperoned by CPAFFC officials, a deeper insight to China.

Full day visits had been arranged to the Great Wall and the Ming tombs on third September. The following day Customary visit to Tienanmen Square was followed by visits to the Forbidden City and temple of Heaven, ending with visit to Hongqiao market. On September 5, the delegates were taken to the Beijing airport where a flight by Air China took us to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, and lodged at the Central Hotel Shanghai.

The afternoon was an illuminating visit to the Shangghai City Planning Centre. The delegates visited a massive scale model of the City as planned for 2020. This was a grand plan drawn after much thought, and indicated the growth of the City and all its infrastructure.

Indeed it was a gigantic vision to foretell the future upto 2020 in a fast changing world. Only a country with a leader of the Deng Ziao Pin outlook could have given the guidance to steer China into the new world, whilst other Asian countries lay by the wayside deeply hurt by the free fall suffered by 1998 economy crisis.

Construction was so geared that Shanghai grew leaps and bounds to nestle over 400 companies listed in Fortune Magazine. Attracting all car manufacturers to China was itself an achievement. The delegates paid visits to the Shanghai Stock Exchange and had very useful discussions with the management. Incidentally the Three Gorges Dam project had the highest market share value amongst the listed companies and was given pride of place by housing a Perspex model of the facility now on stream delivering 14700 MW on the left bank and 8400 MW on the right bank on completion.

The construction of Three Gorges reservoir implied resettling 1.1 million people as the water spread of the reservoir formed was 1,100 square kilometres. Relocating over a million people is by itself a mammoth construction project and Shanghai has undertaken same with a firm determination. Besides Shanghai has over 20,000 construction sites it is reported.

These cover skyscrapers, to residential blocks, motorways to canals, new industries and factories that work under flood lit conditions abound. Shanghai boasts operating the largest number of Ready mix concrete pumping units, Pumping 1,000 cubic metres concrete a day is said to be the norm.

On September 6, the delegates were conducted to the viewing platform of the renowned Orient TV Tower, 468 metres in height and the third such in the World. This alone showcases the fast track construction, embarked in China, strictly monitored by a series of 5 year plans, that keep track of the progress.

China's construction success is best mirrored in its infrastructure achievements. From zero expressways in 1979 to 29,800 kilometres as of now, can only be accomplished by a country with the tradition of having built the 6,700 km long Great Wall 2000 years ago.

By such stupendous accomplishments, China has leapfrogged from a developing country to a developed country. The China Centre for Modernization Research (CCMR) however proposes that China is now a Primarily Developed Country, based on a modernization Index related to Gross National Product of each country.

Sri Lanka gained independence on February 4, 1948. China was founded on 1st October 1949. The two countries therefore can be benchmarked to a common baseline, with a long history. Yet one looks with amazement at the disparity that the two countries have been bequeathed with. Analysis of reasons for the disparity leads to some revelations that need articulation.

The first is Political stability. Second is Smooth transition as events flow in Time. The third is Transforming economic landscape, The fourth is Socialist Planning, which kept the population Growth rate at 0.6% at present to decline to Zero by 2040.

The Fifth reason is Good Governance in a disciplined Society.

With the world's largest population in governance, China has asserted her leadership in Asia and the world by its high growth in economy, often quoted at over 10 % over a period of 10 years, Whilst western countries are embroiled in internal strife and terrorism, China marches on undeterred by the hidden dangers of a runaway economy.

Aware that the construction industry, is the prime mover of growth of a nation's infrastructure, China made a successful bid to host the Asian games in 1990. The experience gained in the venture sparked their successful bid to host the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Liu Qui, the 'President of the 2008 Olympic games committee BOCOG visiting Athens for 2004 Olympics, declared that everything is going on perfectly to make the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing a memorable one. He said that of the 35 competition venues, 30 will be located in Beijing and already 15 are under construction. Of the 5 co-host cities outside Beijing, Quingduo is slated to host the sailing events, Tianjin Quinhuangdao, Shenyang and Shanghai will host the Soccer preliminaries.

Taking into consideration the post games use the Beijing Olympic venues will be located in 4 areas. They are Olympic Green, Western Community area, the University area and the Northern scenic spot area. Construction work on the National Stadium, National Swimming Centre, Laoshan Velodrome and Beijing shooting range began in December and are on schedule target dates.

The Chinese have given equal status to the Environmental policy on environment management as to Construction and hope to build an ecologically balanced city to give a pleasant environment for the 200 nations that will participate in 2008 games.

Athens awarded 32 Gold medals to the Chinese athletes. This is an additional spur to China to make the 2008 games a memorable event in her history. Construction work also goes apace for the peripheral activities that follow a big event. Work on a music theatre and an arts complex are well on the road to completion. The country's longest suspension bridge spanning the Yantzse estuary is designed for 5 km length with main span of 1,490 metres are other significant construction events.

A remarkable piece of rapid transport we had the opportunity to use was the maglev or magnetic levitation train from Longyan road station to Pudong international airport. The 30 km double track is covered in 7 minutes with speeds over 430 km/hour.

The last leg of the itinerary of the delegates was to visit Kunming. This was achieved by China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai on the 8th September 2004. On the next day visits had been organized to Kunming flower market, where plenty of flowers were exported overseas daily.

This was followed by a visit to the famous Stone forest, where geological features of karst limestone, had bequeathed China a buzzing tourist attraction on the 9th September we were hosted to a grand banquet by the officials of the Yunnan Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

On September 10 we had the opportunity to visit the Kunming Plant Research Institute. In discussions with the Director and his team we were informed of the large number of research projects undertaken and the fact the State was generous in providing funds which is not the case in Sri Lanka where such exercises get little or no priority. The meeting was followed by inspection tour of the Botanic gardens in the vicinity.

In the afternoon the delegates visited the 1,000 year old Yuangtang Buddhist temple. We met the monks residing and had discussions with them. There was no discrimination to the practice of religion and we found the normal facilities found in a temple in Sri Lanka in the environs of the temple with shops peddling flowers and incense and a complement of beggars as expected in the neighbourhood.

The days program included a visit to the World Expo Garden. This was a sprawling 216 acre complex with each country having its own exhibition stall. It appeared that the Sri Lanka section located in a commanding high point in the landscape, was not that well utilized.

The last day in China, September 11th was devoted to a visit to the Yunan Nationalities Village. This was a village where the minorities were given freedom of expression to follow their traditional customs and cultural past. The Government had literally made use of a resource, which normally foments resentment, into an asset in the form of a bustling tourist attraction.

According to the China Daily of 6th September, a compulsory insurance program is to be introduced in South China's Guangdon province to cover millions of construction workers commencing 2005. Mostly famers who had migrated to cities were the potential victims. Guangdon had a 5 million workforce and suffered 54 deaths in construction accidents in the first 6 months of 2004. According to the new law insurance compensation will be 100,000 Yuan (US$ 12,000) for a person seriously injured or killed in a construction related accident. Extra expenses due to insurance was to be paid by Construction companies or Contractors.

As a member of the panel for Construction Excellence, in the Institute of Construction Training and Development (ICTAD) in Sri Lanka, I concentrated my attention to the quality, engineering and architectural aspects of the new constructions we saw in the brief nine days in China.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the Chinese planners, architects and engineers for their proficiency in quality construction within short time frames and their superb maintenance on a massive scale. The only area needing improvement is safety during construction.

This is being addressed with the proposed insurance scheme for construction workers, coming into force from 2005. The current boost in construction activity with proper care to the environment will result in China becoming the leading country that changes the face of the Earth. Wishing spectacular achievements for China in the 2008 Olympics.