Photo Courtesy of Xinhua News Agency Former Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao holds a megaphone at a disaster site after a 2008 earthquake that killed 80,000 people. A dam in Wenchuan Country was near the epicenter. Related Links: Concerns Linger Over Risks of Mega-Dams in India's Far Northeast Chinese Data Hint at Trigger for Fatal Quake Two earthquakes this year that struck China’s southwest Yunnan province, dotted with major Himalayan rivers and dams, are stirring up concerns that the seismic zone may be becoming more active.This year’s Ludian earthquake, which killed 617 people and injured 2,400 in August, has shaken up
Photo courtesy Bauma China China's slowing economy has left its equipment vendors with more excess capacity than in 2012 (shown), when they last exhibited at Bauma China. This year's show promises to attract around 180,000 global visitors. Related Links: Where East Meets West, China's Uphill Battle New Blooms for China's Latin America Construction Romance For all the outward bravado Chinese companies have demonstrated in recent foreign investments and acquisitions, they are now feeling the effects of a slower economy that has left them with excess manufacturing capacity and large numbers of unsold machines."The extent of unsold machines could be 20%
Indian Railways The high-speed-rail current plan involves linking two major cities, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, in western India. Related Links: Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Link Plan Draws Global Interest Collapse of China Track Section Highlights Flaws in High-Speed-Rail Program Japanese rail companies, once considered high-speed-rail pioneers, have allowed Chinese rivals to overtake them to win more major contracts in recent years. Suddenly, though, Japan is aiming to gain back lost market share by competing against China on a new, unexpected battlefield: India.This September in Tokyo, for instance, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shook hands with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on a
Enlarge ENR Chinese dam building on Tsangpo River has India concerned about water diversion impacts. India has decided to launch a detailed investigation into whether the Brahmaputra River is at serious risk for flash floods due to dams the Chinese are building on the waterway's upper reaches in the country's Tibetan region.Delhi is worried because China has built one dam on Yarlung Tsangpo, the Chinese name of the Brahmaputra, and has started on two others in what could be a five-dam package.“We are going to study all aspects of the Brahmaputra to determine the potential risks involved,” Indian Minister V.K.
Related Links: U.S. Opposing Chinas Answer to World Bank Pushback Against Chinese Workers Escalates in Africa China's Construction Tycoon Takes On the Competition Last year when China unveiled a grandiose plan for creating a Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Asian powerhouse seemed to be reading from the script that Japan followed back in the 1960s when that country helped create the Asian Development Bank. Other Asian finance ministries and central bankers were divided, some asking if another multilateral institution were necessary, and others wondering if it was safe to say ‘no’ to their biggest trade partner. Two quick and somewhat surprising
Photo by Saibal Dasgupta Yan Jiehe, founder and guiding light of China Pacific Construction Group Co. Ltd., whose revenue is estimated at $60 billion, celebrates its inclusion on the Fortune 500 list. Associated Press Environmentalists have criticized the company's destruction of mountains surrounding one planned development, but its chief claims the area is a "wasteland." Related Links: ENR's Top 250 Global Contractors ENR's Top 60 Chinese Contractors A company and its leader not hurt by worldwide adverse publicity is something of a rarity, but China Pacific Construction Group Co. Ltd. and its founder Yan Jiehe are in a class by
As the excitement over the World Cup ebbed in mid July, Latin American politicians got busy dealing with China’s President Xi Jinping, who dashed through Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela signing 150 projects worth a colossal $70 billion. The deals included construction of a metro rail in Brazil and several projects worth $7 billion in Argentina. "We know that cooperation with China has not brought us debt, but greater development," Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said after shaking hands with the Chinese President over a bouquet of deals including a $700-million gold exploration project and others worth $4 billion in cash. Xi’s Latin
Related Links: China-Latin America Finance Database, Boston University Interactive Map of China's Lending to Latin American Countries China To Dispatch 5000 Workers To Kenya For Rail Construction (Ventures Africa) As excitement over World Cup competition in Brazil ebbed in mid-July, Latin American politicians were still busy playing host to China’s President Xi Jinping, who dashed through Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela signing deals for about 150 projects worth some $70 billion. They included construction of a metro rail in Brazil and several projects in Argentina worth $7 billion."We know that cooperation with China has not brought us debt, but greater
When faced with controversies involving the country's prestigious high-speed-rail program, Chinese officials are not shy about departing from the Communist Party line that is carefully scripted in Beijing. Instead of blandly agreeing that setbacks are minor and all is well, they instead are willing to find fault and even differ with each other publicly.
The Office of Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, and multidisciplinary engineer Arup, designers of the $733-million Television Cultural Center in Beijing, are declining to comment on the damage to the primarily concrete-framed building as a result of a dramatic Feb. 9 blaze that engulfed all 31 stories and killed one firefighter. But a city official says the basic structure is intact and most of the damage from the five-and-a-half-hour fire is affected only the exterior surface of the walls. Slide Show Photo: AP/Wideworld Observers speculate titanium-zinc alloy may have fueled fire on outside of tower. The fire at the 159-meter-tall TVCC tower,