ISLAMABAD, February 23 (INP): In recent report by The Wall Street Journal, targeting several China-built global mega-projects, was filled with distorted facts, one-sided stories, and unfounded accusations — an attempt to discredit the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, according to Xinhua News’ report.
What’s the real picture of these projects? Are they really “falling apart” as sensationally claimed by the WSJ? Xinhua reporters traveled there, studied the cases and talked to authorities, experts and engineers.
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). With infrastructure construction a key priority, 81 Chinese central state-owned enterprises have been involved in over 3,400 projects in countries along the Belt and Road by January 2021.
The cumulative amount of China’s direct investment in these nations reached 161.3 billion U.S. dollars from 2013 to 2021. A World Bank report estimated that when fully implemented, the BRI could help nearly 40 million people in relevant countries leave poverty behind.
Under the sensational headline: “China’s Global Mega-Projects are Falling Apart,” the WSJ article went on to bring in Pakistan’s Neelum Jhelum hydroelectric project, and again blamed “flaws” in Chinese construction for its shutdown in July 2022.
The accusation is far from the truth. The quality of the Chinese construction, as evaluated by local authorities during its handover in 2018, was impeccable and up to standard.
Sajjad Ghani, chairman of the Pakistan Water & Power Development Authority, told Xinhua that the WSJ report is unjustifiable.
“The quality of construction of the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project has been fair,” said Ghani.
There is no doubt that the China Gezhouba Group Co, the main contractor for the project’s civil work, “has done all these things successfully,” said Muhammad Irfan, CEO of the Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Company, which now operates the plant.
The root cause for the shutdown, Irfan told a parliament meeting in November, was pressure from a mountain on the underground tunnel, resulting in partial collapse and a blockage.
The problem emerged when Pakistan was ravaged by floods seen as the “worst in history,” while earthquakes were recorded in the surrounding areas of the plant. Irfan said Neelum Jhelum has signed a new contract with the Chinese constructor to repair the tunnel, with the civil work contract already completed.
