China is home to the world's highest bridge, longest sea-crossing bridge and 90 out of the 100 highest bridges built this century! In the 8th episode of our explainer series, we explore #HowChinaCan manage such a feat! #NewChina70Years
BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- China has more than 1 million modern bridges. Of the top 100 bridges in terms of height in the 21st century across the world 90 of them are in China. Why can China do this?
About 67 percent of the country's land is made up of mountains, hills and plateaus.
There are many large-size mountains in China, especially in the southwest, which is almost entirely made up of mountains.
China has many rivers. There are more than 1,500 rivers with a basin area of more than 1,000 square kilometers.
China's development efforts must extend to all mountains and rivers.
From 2015 to 2020, China's transportation investment is expected to exceed 15 trillion yuan, with a substantial portion reserved for bridge construction.
Rapid bridge construction is, first of all, a result of government investment in transportation development.
In China, bridges are often heavily invested in by the government and are often supported by bank loans. This ensures feasibility.
Most of China's super bridges were built by state-backed companies. This ensures the smooth progress of the project.
State-supported research institutes have also become the most well-funded bridge research institutions in the world. They have helped enhance bridge construction technology.
The Belt and Road Initiative aims to assist with development in regions suffering from poverty and a poor natural environment. Those areas need both capital and technology to help build bridges.
China has helped people in Africa build many bridges. Some of them are considered first-class there.
Chinese people often say "giving people fishing nets instead of fish" can help people develop skills and promote development for the long run.
In China, bridge construction and transportation development have proven to be more effective than cash subsidies when solving problems related to poverty.■
