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Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
The Tallest Dam in the World Begins Storing Water
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station in China's Sichuan province is set to become the tallest dam in the world. The project officially entered its final stage on May 1, when water storage began at the site. Standing 315 meters tall once fully completed, the dam surpasses the current world record holder, the Jinping-I Dam, by just 10 meters. It is designed to generate 2,000 megawatts of electricity annually, which is enough to power over three million homes. The Context For the last decade, China has been building infrastructure that reduces reliance on coal. Once operational, Chinese authorities claim the Shuangjiangkou Dam will offset nearly 3 million tons of coal consumption annually, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 7 million tons. Like many other parts of the country's core infrastructure, the dam will be state-owned, and managed by the Power Construction Corporation of China, also known as PowerChina. What To Know The Shuangjiangkou project began construction in 2015 and is located along the upper reaches of the Dadu River, which flows from the Tibetan Plateau into the Sichuan Basin. PowerChina claims it will be able to generate over 7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, with construction so far costing ¥36 billion, the equivalent of almost $5 billion. The construction location, which is over 2,400 meters above sea level, sees constant seismic activity, which has slowed construction at times. During the initial water storage phase, the water level had been raised to 2,344 meters, approximately 80 meters above the original river height. Full commissioning is expected by the end of 2025. Images of the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station published on May 3, 2025. Images of the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station published on May 3, 2025. China Railway Construction Corporation China has nearly half of all dams taller than 15 meters. The current tallest dam in the world, the Jinping-I Dam, is in the same region of China and stands at 305 meters tall. The second tallest, the Nurek Dam, is in Tajikistan, but the third, fourth, fifth and sixth tallest are all also in China, two of which, the Lianghekou Dam and Baihetan Dam, were built within the last decade. What People Are Saying In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the China Railway Construction Corporation said: "On May 1st, the world's tallest dam, the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station in Sichuan Province, constructed by the China Railway Construction Corporation, completed its first water impoundment. Once fully operational, it will generate 7.7 billion kWh of electricity annually." What Happens Next The Shuangjiangkou Dam's first unit will start generating electricity by the end of 2025. Once fully operational, its 2,000 MW output will link into the rest of the Sichuan region's hydropower grid.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - China's deceitful, disastrous projects in Latin America and Africa
Half-baked and shoddy projects, labor exploitation, debt traps and devastating environmental damage are part of the Chinese Communist Party portfolio. And people are noticing. In 2014, the China Railway Construction Corporation won the bid for the 'bullet train' in Mexico — a multi-billion-dollar project which, after 11 years, remains a dead letter. Lack of transparency was one of the main criticisms of this important railway infrastructure project that promised to revolutionize transportation in Mexico. The Chicoasen II hydroelectric plant is another example of Chinese investments that have been strongly criticized for alleged labor rights abuses. Twelve-hour workdays, insufficient protective equipment, control over unions and lack of overtime pay are among the main claims of Mexican workers. In Brazil, China has been questioned by international organizations for practices similar to modern slavery, both within and outside its borders. According to organizations like End Slavery Now, repression and human rights abuses are a huge challenge. In China, ethnic and religious minorities (Christians, Muslims and others) perform forced labor in the name of 're-education.' That helps the Communist nation compete with lower prices against U.S. products. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been critical of so-called savage capitalism and social injustices. However, Brazil and China are now being questioned for something akin to modern slavery in a car factory. Authorities report that 163 Chinese citizens were brought to Brazil illegally to work on the construction site of a BYD plant. In Peru, the $10 billion inter-oceanic railway megaproject sought to connect the Atlantic Coast with the Pacific Coast between Brazil and Peru. The project has been waiting for years and carries strong geopolitical, environmental and social costs for the region. The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and his wife in Nicaragua has devastated natural resources, contaminated rivers, destroyed forests, invaded indigenous communities and extinguished rich ecosystems. China ravages everything, and no local authority is authorized to inspect, interfere or sanction the Chinese companies in the country. In 2024, the mining sector generated $1.39 billion for the Nicaraguan regime. In 2021, a compromised drainage system was suspected to be the primary cause of a flood in Matthews Ridge, Guyana. Local authorities reported that the reservoir, owned by Chinese company Guyana Manganese Inc., did not change drainage pipes that were laid years ago. The story is similar in Africa. China promised $51 billion in investments in Africa over a four-year period in 50 countries in the region. Its goal was to seize mining resources — particularly critical materials such as copper and lithium. It's all part of their industrial and military strategy under the so-called Plan 2049. Just a few weeks ago, China caused the largest ecological disaster in Zambia's history, dumping 50 million liters of acid and chemical waste into the Kafue River. This is part of China's ambitious copper mining project. China is moving forward with massive energy and mining projects in Zimbabwe, Uganda and South Sudan that are a serious concern for communities, water sources and the livelihood of local ecosystems. The list of disastrous and deceitful Chinese projects — half-finished or never started, is extensive. The only way to reduce or reverse China's global advance is with determined and decisive leadership from the U.S. The Trump administration has begun this extraordinary and long overdue task with a strong focus on Latin America. Earlier this year, Mexico announced that it will review and reverse its China trade policy, putting an end to the nefarious back-door China uses to access U.S. markets. Last week, during his visit to Panama, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reached a historic deal to ensure deployment of U.S. troops in Panama, sending a strong message to China. In addition, U.S. presence and partnerships in the region are being strengthened by visits from top ranking officials from the State Department, Homeland Security, the Department of Agriculture and the Southern Command, among others. Defeating China in the Americas requires significant public and private investment, presence and power, but, above all, a strong political will to review and reverse the communist threat in the region. Fortunately, these changes are already underway, and the outlook seems promising. Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, and a former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is an alumnus of the National Defense University's Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
21-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
China's deceitful, disastrous projects in Latin America and Africa
Half-baked and shoddy projects, labor exploitation, debt traps and devastating environmental damage are part of the Chinese Communist Party portfolio. And people are noticing. In 2014, the China Railway Construction Corporation won the bid for the 'bullet train' in Mexico — a multi-billion-dollar project which, after 11 years, remains a dead letter. Lack of transparency was one of the main criticisms of this important railway infrastructure project that promised to revolutionize transportation in Mexico. The Chicoasen II hydroelectric plant is another example of Chinese investments that have been strongly criticized for alleged labor rights abuses. Twelve-hour workdays, insufficient protective equipment, control over unions and lack of overtime pay are among the main claims of Mexican workers. In Brazil, China has been questioned by international organizations for practices similar to modern slavery, both within and outside its borders. According to organizations like End Slavery Now, repression and human rights abuses are a huge challenge. In China, ethnic and religious minorities (Christians, Muslims and others) perform forced labor in the name of 're-education.' That helps the Communist nation compete with lower prices against U.S. products. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been critical of so-called savage capitalism and social injustices. However, Brazil and China are now being questioned for something akin to modern slavery in a car factory. Authorities report that 163 Chinese citizens were brought to Brazil illegally to work on the construction site of a BYD plant. In Peru, the $10 billion inter-oceanic railway megaproject sought to connect the Atlantic Coast with the Pacific Coast between Brazil and Peru. The project has been waiting for years and carries strong geopolitical, environmental and social costs for the region. The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and his wife in Nicaragua has devastated natural resources, contaminated rivers, destroyed forests, invaded indigenous communities and extinguished rich ecosystems. China ravages everything, and no local authority is authorized to inspect, interfere or sanction the Chinese companies in the country. In 2024, the mining sector generated $1.39 billion for the Nicaraguan regime. In 2021, a compromised drainage system was suspected to be the primary cause of a flood in Matthews Ridge, Guyana. Local authorities reported that the reservoir, owned by Chinese company Guyana Manganese Inc., did not change drainage pipes that were laid years ago. The story is similar in Africa. China promised $51 billion in investments in Africa over a four-year period in 50 countries in the region. Its goal was to seize mining resources — particularly critical materials such as copper and lithium. It's all part of their industrial and military strategy under the so-called Plan 2049. Just a few weeks ago, China c aused the largest ecological disaster in Zambia's history, dumping 50 million liters of acid and chemical waste into the Kafue River. This is part of China's ambitious copper mining project. China is moving forward with massive energy and mining projects in Zimbabwe, Uganda and South Sudan that are a serious concern for communities, water sources and the livelihood of local ecosystems. The list of disastrous and deceitful Chinese projects — half-finished or never started, is extensive. The only way to reduce or reverse China's global advance is with determined and decisive leadership from the U.S. The Trump administration has begun this extraordinary and long overdue task with a strong focus on Latin America. Earlier this year, Mexico announced that it will review and reverse its China trade policy, putting an end to the nefarious back-door China uses to access U.S. markets. Last week, during his visit to Panama, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reached a historic deal to ensure deployment of U.S. troops in Panama, sending a strong message to China. In addition, U.S. presence and partnerships in the region are being strengthened by visits from top ranking officials from the State Department, Homeland Security, the Department of Agriculture and the Southern Command, among others. Defeating China in the Americas requires significant public and private investment, presence and power, but, above all, a strong political will to review and reverse the communist threat in the region. Fortunately, these changes are already underway, and the outlook seems promising. Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, and a former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is an alumnus of the National Defense University's Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course.
Chicago Tribune
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Powerful earthquake rocks Myanmar and Thailand, killing at least 3 in Bangkok high-rise collapse
BANGKOK — A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar's second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The 7.7 magnitude quake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times — was not yet clear. Myanmar's government said blood was in high demand in the hardest-hit areas. Images of buckled and cracked roads and damaged highways as well as the collapse of a bridge and dam raised further concerns about how rescuers would even reach some areas in a country already enduring a widespread humanitarian crisis. Near Bangkok's popular Chatuchak market, a 33-story building under construction, with a crane on top, crumpled into a cloud of dust, and onlookers could be seen screaming and running in a video posted on social media. The sound of sirens echoed throughout central Bangkok and vehicles filled the streets, leaving some of the city's already congested streets gridlocked. The elevated rapid transit system and subway shut down. While the area where the quake struck is prone to earthquakes, they are usually not so big and it is rare for them to felt in the Thai capital, which sits on a river delta and is at moderate risk for quakes. April Kanichawanakul, who works in an office building in Bangkok, initially didn't even realize it was an earthquake, the first she'd ever experienced. 'I just thought I was dizzy,' she said. She and her colleagues ran downstairs from the 10th floor of their building and waited outside for a signal that it was safe to go back in. Crane-topped building collapsed in a cloud of dust In Bangkok, at least three people were killed in the building collapse and 90 were missing, according to Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. He offered no more details about the ongoing rescue efforts but first responders said that seven people had been rescued so far from the area. At least two of the dead were construction workers who were killed by falling rubble or debris, rescue worker Songwut Wangpon told reporters. The building was being built by the China Railway Construction Corporation for Thailand's government auditor general. Elsewhere, people in Bangkok evacuated from their buildings were cautioned to stay outside in case there were more aftershocks. The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ center for geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to preliminary reports. Shallower earthquakes tend to cause more damage. Screaming and panic as buildings swayed Bangkok's city hall declared the city a disaster area to facilitate the response. The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments. 'All of a sudden the whole building began to move. Immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,' said Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok's many malls. 'I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators.' Like Morton, thousands of people poured into Benjasiri Park from nearby shopping malls, high rises and apartment buildings along Bangkok's busy Sukhumvit Road. Many were on phones trying to reach loved ones as others sought shade from the hot early afternoon sun. 'I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense,' Morton said. 'Lots of chaos.' Voranoot Thirawat, a lawyer working in central Bangkok, said her first indication that something was wrong came when she saw a light swinging back and forth. Then she heard the building creaking as it moved back and forth. She and her colleagues ran down 12 flights of stairs. 'In my lifetime, there was no earthquake like this in Bangkok,' she said. Paul Vincent, a tourist visiting from England, was at a streetside bar when the quake struck. 'The next thing, everybody came on the street, so there was a lot of screaming and panicking, which obviously made it a lot worse,' he said. As he came onto the street himself, he said he saw a high-rise building swaying and water falling from a rooftop pool. 'There was people crying in the streets and, you know, the panic was horrendous really,' he said. Bridge and monastery collapse and dam bursts in Myanmar In Mandalay, the earthquake reportedly brought down multiple buildings, including the Ma Soe Yane monastery, one of the largest in the city, and damaged the former royal palace. Meanwhile, Christian Aid said its partners and colleagues on the ground reported that a dam burst in the city, causing water levels to rise in the lowland areas in the area. A video posted online showed robed monks in the street shooting video of the multistory monastery before it suddenly fell into the ground. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was harmed. In the Sagaing region just southwest of the city, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, were also damaged. The military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and is now involved in a bloody civil war with long-established militias and newly formed pro-democracy ones. Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places are incredibly dangerous to access or simply out of reach for aid groups. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations. The Red Cross said downed power lines added to challenges for their teams trying to reach several hard-hit areas. 'This disaster will have left people devastated and in need of drinking water, food and shelter,' said Julie Mehigan, head of Asia, Middle East & Europe for Christian Aid. 'Myanmar is one of the least developed countries in the world. Even before this heartbreaking earthquake, we know conflict and displacement has left countless people in real need.' Myanmar's government declared a state of emergency in six regions and states including the capital Naypyitaw and Mandalay. It was not clear what the declaration meant since the entire country has been under a state of emergency since 2021. Residents in Yangon rushed out of their homes when the quake struck. In the capital Naypyitaw, the quake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground, and some homes. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, the military government's spokesperson, told state television MRTV that blood was in high demand in the hospitals in earthquakes-hit areas, especially Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyitaw. He urged blood donors to contact the hospitals as soon as possible. Injuries reported in China To the northeast, the earthquake was felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China and caused damage to houses and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports. Videos that one outlet said it had received from a person in Ruili showed building debris littering a street and a person being wheeled in a stretcher toward an ambulance. The shaking in Mangshi, a Chinese city about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Ruili, was so strong that people couldn't stand, one resident told The Paper, an online media outlet.
Asia Times
06-03-2025
- Business
- Asia Times
Vietnam is integrating more, not less, with China
This article first appeared on Pacific Forum and is republished with the author's permission. The Vietnamese National Assembly has approved the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway project, a 390.9-kilometer (about 243-mile) high-speed railway connecting northern Vietnam with southwest China. With a total investment equivalent to US$8.4 billion, the project is expected to be completed by 2030 and will create new development momentum for Vietnam. The railway is built upon the abandoned Yunnan-Haiphong railway, constructed during the French colonial period, connecting Haiphong (Vietnam) and Yunnan (China). The old railway, 855 km long, with the section in Vietnam being 390 km long, was established from 1901 to 1910 and was seen as an engineering marvel then as it spanned different types of terrain, especially through the mountainous areas of the Vietnam-China border region. The railway served the main purpose of exporting goods of European origin to China as well as boosting trade and connection between French Indochina and southwest China. However, this narrow-gauge railway (1,000mm) has proven outdated, and China suspended it in 2000. On the Vietnamese side, the railway still operates normally but stops at Lao Cai, a border province with China. The new railway project is a standard-gauge railway (1,435mm) and will be used for both freight and passenger transport at a speed of up to 160 km/h. Last year, at a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Dai Hegen—chairman of China Railway Construction Corporation—confirmed that the project will contribute to the realization of the Belt and Road Initiative as well as help Yunnan have faster access to the sea while promoting socio-economic development of the northern border provinces of Vietnam. The new railway project can be seen as a triumph of the Belt and Road Initiative, spearheaded by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Along with the Boten-Vientiane railway, operational since December 2021, connecting Laos and China, the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway will accelerate China's links with Southeast Asian countries. China's ambition is to eventually construct a larger railway, the Kunming-Singapore railway, connecting China to Southeast Asia, with the main route running from Kunming, the provincial capital of China's Yunnan province, through Laos, Thailand and Malaysia to Singapore, and branch routes through Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. The project is an indication that Vietnam is further integrating into the Chinese economy, especially in the context of the world economy not fully recovering after the Covid-19 recession. Vietnam is currently undertaking its most ambitious bureaucratic reforms under the leadership of the new General Secretary To Lam. 'In just a month from early December 2024 to January 2025, ministries finalized their reorganization plans, detailing mergers, reallocations, and reductions in redundant functions,' stated Dr Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow from the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Earlier, Communist Party of Vietnam leader Lam bitterly admitted that nearly 70% of the budget is spent on salaries and regular expenses, leaving little room for development investment. Last year, Vietnam missed out on multi-billion dollar investments from multinationals such as Intel and LG Chem due to reasons including lack of incentives, as well as Vietnam's electricity shortages and excessive bureaucracy. The withdrawal of large international corporations from Vietnam could seriously affect Vietnam's 8% growth target in 2025. The Vietnamese economy is vulnerable as it is too dependent on multinationals. For example, in 2023, Samsung alone contributed 16% of Vietnam's total export value and maintained this level in 2024 despite global economic challenges. Clearly, streamlining the bureaucratic system alone cannot solve the problem comprehensively. Therefore, Vietnam must find alternative development momentum and strengthening connection with China may be a feasible solution. This approach can help Vietnam achieve its growth target, but it may also cause potential consequences for the Vietnamese economy. Firstly, the risk of being completely dependent on the Chinese economy is likely high as Vietnam does not have a strong foundation in heavy industries like Thailand, South Korea, Japan or Taiwan. Indeed, most Vietnamese industries are weak, based on processing and assembling, not to mention other sectors such as retail trade and agriculture. Second, Vietnam could become a 'transit point for goods exported to third countries' like the US if the China-United States trade war continues, especially under President Donald Trump's second term. In this case, Vietnam is probably to suffer from US trade sanctions, which Vietnam itself has predicted. A typical example is the US-led anti-dumping investigation in 2019 related to the $5 billion hoard of aluminum in Vietnam. This has raised worries that Vietnamese businesses will be wrongly engaged in such complex cases. The decision to get closer to the Chinese economy can be considered a life-or-death decision for the Vietnamese economy, particularly after the US government under Trump 2.0 has tightened foreign aid and focused more on the domestic market. This decision is also in line with Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy strategy, which is to adapt to different situations and cooperate with all partners for its own advantage. However, it is inevitable that economic dependence will lead to political subordination. China is notorious for its 'debt trap diplomacy' and many poor countries are its victims, including Pakistan, Kenya, Zambia, Laos and Mongolia. Given that, Vietnam is famous for its long history of resistance against Chinese influence with the most recent skirmish happening in 1979. The relationship between Vietnam and China is very complicated and ever-changing. Nonetheless, there always exists anti-China sentiment in the country, helping to balance the tendency of integration into China. For the time being, to counteract over-reliance on China, Vietnam may strengthen economic ties with regional powerhouses such as South Korea and Japan. Since Japan and South Korea are top ODA providers to Vietnam, they could play a pivotal role in boosting the Vietnamese economy, especially considering the extensive presence and influence of South Korean and Japanese corporations in the country. Buu Nguyen graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle and focuses on international relations in East and Southeast Asia, as well as shared prosperity of small countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The writer may be contacted at buunguyenwriter@
