Week of May 16, 2003
Week
of June 6, 2003
The U.S. and China This Week
DOMESTIC: Reservoir for Three Gorges Started
After years of construction and controversy, the Three Gorges
Dam has started to fill its reservoir. Construction of the dam, which began
in the late 1990s, has been plagued by corruption scandals and fears of ecological
catastrophe. The reservoir, when filled, will constitute the largest man-made
lake in the world, stretching over 250 miles, covering an area along the path
of the Yangtze River stretching from Yichang in the east almost to Chongqing
in the west. The dam will be used for the generation of massive amounts of
hydroelectric power, necessary for China's rapidly expanding energy needs.
Although residents of the areas contiguous to the floodplain
have been warned in advance of the rising levels of water, they had continued
to plant crops up until several weeks ago and many were seen rushing to salvage
them from the rising water. According to reports, the water level has been
rising by over 12 feet per day since the sluice gates were closed.
DOMESTIC: China to Build One of the World's Longest Bridges
In another grand infrastructure project, China has begun
construction of a 22-mile bridge across Hangzhou Bay. According to state
officials, the bridge will be the largest ocean-spanning bridge in the
world, connecting the cities of Jiaxing and Cixi, creating a Shanghai-Ningbo
corridor, greatly diminishing the travel times between the two commercial
centers.
The cost of this project is estimated at 1.4 billion USD
and is part of the larger project of creating a transnational highway
system, part of which will provide a direct route from Hainan to Heilongjiang
DOMESTIC: China to Begin Adminstrative Budget Trimming
According to news reports, China's new leadership has
been advocating plans to eliminate village and county government administration.
Such reforms would have tremendous impact on both government organization
and spending, as a preponderance of the civil service serves under the
country level.
It has also been reported that both president Hu Jintao
and Premier Wen Jiabao have attempted to institute other measures to
curb government spending. This includes the planned elimination of numerous
bureaucratic procedural rules and the abolishment of various official
perquisites.
The U.S. and China This Week
uscpf@uscpf.org
Last updated: 17 January 2001
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