The Huajiang Bridge: China's new marvel at 625 meters high!

The Huajiang Bridge: China's new marvel at 625 meters high!

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Guizhou Province, China, is the highest bridge in the world with a height of 625 meters from the roadway to the riverbed. This is almost the same height as the Shanghai Tower, which at 632 meters is one of the most famous attractions in the country. The bridge, which has now been opened to traffic, has an impressive main span of 1,420 meters and will significantly reduce travel time through the Huajiang Gorge - from around two hours to just a few minutes. The construction of this monumental-looking suspension bridge took three years and cost more than two billion renminbi, which is around 240 million euros. Kleine Zeitung reports on the high number of bridges in China, of which 18 of the 20 highest in the world can be found in this country, while Guizhou is one of the most indebted regions in the country.

The construction of such infrastructure projects is controversial in China because they often lead to high costs and debt. In the Guizhou region, known for its economic challenges, the construction of new bridges and roads has a particularly significant impact, as many of these projects do not deliver the needed social or economic benefits. This raises the question of the sustainability of investments in infrastructural developments.

Infrastructure and economic challenges

The focus on expanding infrastructure in China has been pursued for years, but many of these construction projects are now often underutilized. For example, the fastest train, the Fuxing, from Shanghai to Beijing operates at up to 350 km/h and the route is well booked. But at the same time, new development areas are visible that are largely empty, and train stations that have many platforms but only a few passengers. According to economic researcher Michael Pettis of Peking University, China is reaching the limits of its growth, highlighting the lack of income levels in poorer regions such as Guizhou. This disparity is problematic, especially since 70% of the world's high-speed trains run in China, but only 17% of global economic output comes from this country. Spiegel highlights the underlying economic challenges associated with overinvestment in infrastructure.

Over the next five years, China plans to build new high-speed trains equal in number to Germany, Spain, France and Japan combined. However, this could coincide with the need to reduce new construction plans in order to encourage private consumption. Pettis highlights the need to increase wages while protecting jobs, which is a huge challenge. Political difficulties in implementing government aid could further complicate the situation, especially since government spending is already high. How China's economic growth will develop remains uncertain. Current data shows a year-on-year increase of around 4.5% in August in consumption and industrial production, but growth requires a sustainable foundation. Tagesschau predicts that declining economic growth is to be expected because China can no longer invest to the same extent as in the past.