Raising its game

China is in the fast forward mode ahead of Beijing Olympics 2008 and Shanghai World Expo 2010.

September 7-15, 2007
Shanghai and Beijing

As the China Eastern Airline aircraft lands at the Pudong International Airport, the first sight that hits me is the construction— of the airport itself. What I did not grasp then was that for the next few days of my sojourn in Shanghai and Beijing, this spectacle (of infrastructure development) would leave me awe-struck. What probably started with the construction of the Great Wall of China in fifth century BC has translated into a passion to build and showcase the tallest, the biggest at the fastest pace in the 21st century.

Most of Shanghai’s economic activity is concentrated in the new Pudong district, the financial nerve of the city. Pudong is home to a skyline that includes the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jin Mao Tower next to the Huangpu River. The extraordinary smog surrounding the skyline reminds one of the pre-CNG days in Delhi. Despite smarting eyes, one feels wowed by the construction alone.

Ma Xuejie, Deputy Director-General of Pudong’s Press and Information Office, proudly declares: “Pudong showcases China’s economic growth and the final aim of Pudong is to set free the world of market economy for China.”

It is left to Ma to do some impressive number-crunching to support his claims. Pudong’s per capita GDP is $15,000, against Shanghai’s $7,000 and China’s $1,000. Pudong has 15,000 foreign investors who’ve put in $33 billion over the last 17 years. Three hundred are multinationals; most of them European manufacturers, including big names from financial sector, real estate and logistics.

China will get a chance to showcase the development at Shanghai at the World Exposition to be held in 2010. “We are expecting 70 million visitors during the World Expo 2010 and have been preparing for the last two years to host an event of such magnitude,” adds Ma.

“In another two years, we will try to catch up with Korea and Singapore”—just in time for “the Olympic Games of the economy, science and technology”—Ma declares. Knowing China’s penchant for development at a startling speed, that would be a cakewalk.

The real urgency for China to dictate pace at its own terms is at Beijing, the venue for the 2008 Olympics—and it is not just infrastructure. China is leaving no stone unturned to showcase its might when the world descends here during Olympics that will be held from August 8, 2008. The motto of the Olympics—Faster, Higher, Stronger—applies equally to the Olympics preparation in Beijing. Freshly-laid roads, flyovers, perfectly manicured roundabouts, freshly-painted signboards in Chinese and English are visible all across the city. The venues for the Olympics— the Bird’s Nest and the adjacent Water Cube stadiums, among others— are being readied, while the public transit system in Beijing is getting a makeover. However, one look at the haze-covered stadiums and it’s clear that pollution might just play spoilsport for China. While the auto sector is a major contributor to China’s economic growth, the 1,000-odd cars that get added every day to Beijing’s traffic of around 3 million cars are not letting Olympics organisers breathe easy.

“We have spent 110 billion yuan (approx. Rs 57,849 crore) to improve public transport and 120 billion yuan (approx. Rs 63,108 crore) since 1998 on improving air quality. We’ve relocated 200 polluting factories to neighbouring provinces,” says Sun Weide, Deputy Director, Beijing Organising Committee for the XXIX Olympiad. New subway lines are being inaugurated to ease traffic on roads as well as reduce pollution levels. Beijing has also started implementing ‘No Car Days’ across the country from September.

Meanwhile, in the host city, the ubiquitous red seems to have acquired a new meaning—red carpet for the rest of the world. The local CCTV runs advertisements all through the day, exhorting Chinese citizens to make foreign visitors feel at home. Newspapers and television channels run capsules on basics of the English language. Taxi drivers are being taught English and those who fail to do so would have their licences revoked.

China, it seems, is leaving nothing to chance. As formidable a task that may sound, China will not have it any other way. So much so that scientists in China are preparing to use cloud-sealing technology to “manage” rains to ensure that there is no hitch during the opening ceremony. The weather in Beijing would be controlled for the duration of Olympics. This is because the last 30-year weather records have made meteorological experts believe that there is a 50 per cent chance of rain on August 8, the day Olympics begin. “We’re not taking any chances—we are trying to manage weather,” says Sun.

This apart, China’s zeal for superlative feats will find a new expression this Olympics. The Olympic torch will be taken to Mt Everest and China is confident about ascending Mount Qomolangma as the highest peak in the world is called in China. “We completed a successful dry run in May this year; there’s no cause for concern. We have selected 50 mountaineers who are undergoing rigorous training,” adds Sun. The torch will travel to 135 cities, including Mumbai.

For each of its exalted targets, China has an equally formidable challenge. Going by the Dragon’s past record, these targets would hardly remain pie-in-the-sky dreams.