Transportation Infrastructure in the Pearl River Delta

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GUANGZHOU 000559 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EINV ELTN KTDB CH SUBJECT: Transportation Infrastructure in the Pearl River Delta (Part 1 of 2): Government Plans and Foreign Participation ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Guangdong planners hope to spur development in the western Pearl River Delta (PRD) and create a more sustainable development model by expanding and integrating the PRD transportation network. They aim to create an A-shaped network that links both sides of the delta and integrate the transportation systems of seven municipalities. U.S. companies have provided technology for metro systems, heavy machinery for road construction, and environmental designs for airports and metros. This cable discusses the overall development plans and the role of foreign companies; septel describes specific projects. END SUMMARY The Big Picture: A Linked Region -------------- ¶2. (U) The PRD, located in south-central Guangdong, covers an area of 41,700 km sq and includes seven major cities: Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhuhai. The PRD is Guangdong's (and South China's) economic engine, accounting for 83 percent of the province's GDP with 27 percent of its population; those not in the PRD are engaged in largely rural pursuits. It is also a center of the province's transportation infrastructure, with 57 percent of Guangdong's expressways, 91 percent of its container business, and 97 percent of its air passenger business. ¶3. (U) In its 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10),Guangdong set aside an estimated investment of RMB 550 billion (USD 71.5 billion) -- most for the PRD -- for 62 major transportation projects. The plan is to integrate the PRD cities' transportation systems, linking them to major cities in other provinces such as Hunan, Fujian, and Guizhou. Some of the projects reflect network designs found in U.S. cities, according to Professor Fu Xinsha of South China Normal University. He said the Guangdong government has sent experts to the United States since the 1980s to study transportation linkages. ¶4. (U) The 11th Five-Year Plan proposes 2,000 km of new expressway, 1,100 of railway, 270 km of light rail, and 262 km of metro rail for the province. The Guangdong government has announced that it will spend RMB 48.5 billion (USD 6.3 billion) to improve transportation infrastructure in 2007, up from RMB 46.2 billion (USD 6 billion) in 2006, which was 13 percent more than 2005. Linking East to West in the PRD -------------- ¶5. (U) Thus far, most of the PRD's infrastructure investment has been in the eastern cities of Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Guangzhou -- where the bulk of the PRD's factories are located. However, with shortages of land, energy, and labor becoming more acute in the eastern PRD, the provincial government and investors are looking to the western PRD as an area to expand. The Guangdong Development and Reform Commission (DRC)'s Director of Transportation Zhang Zhulin said that his office has emphasized transportation infrastructure projects, particularly railways, which link eastern and western PRD cities. Panyu, located 14 km south of central Guangzhou and in a central location within the PRD, has been designated as the transportation hub for rail and expressway networks, according to Chen Sanliu, Director-General of the Guangzhou DRC. ¶6. (U) The long-term goal of PRD planners is to create a transportation network that forms an A-shape, with Guangzhou at the top and Shenzhen and Zhuhai at the lower ends, according to a March statement by Guangdong DRC Director-General Chen Shanru. Across the middle will be a series of bridges linking Zhongshan and Dongguan. However, Guangdong DRC's Zhang said the Zhongshan-Dongguan link is an ambitious proposal and is unlikely to be completed by 2010. Nevertheless, Zhang characterized the PRD's transportation infrastructure plans as among the most ambitious in China, supporting a larger and more interconnected network than Shanghai's Yangzi River Delta. Shifting Low-Cost Manufacturing Out of the PRD -------------- -------------- ¶7. (U) PRD infrastructure planning also points to a gradual shift that is taking place in the region's economy toward higher value-added and high-technology industries. Behind this shift are market forces, such as higher land and labor costs and an appreciating RMB, as well as government efforts to establish a long-term, sustainable economy. Low-end, highly polluting factories are being forced to other parts of Guangdong as well as interior provinces. ¶8. (U) Railways and highways are currently under construction to link Guangzhou and Guiyang, Guizhou. The rail project, which will include RMB 68 billion (USD 8.8 billion) in investment and take four years, will cut the travel time from 21 hours to less than five. The 890 km expressway will reduce driving time from 24 hours to 8 hours. Guizhou Governor Lin Shusen commented in a recent article GUANGZHOU 00000559 002 OF 003 that the projects will help move labor-intensive industries (and likely attendant environmental problems) westwards from the Pearl River Delta region. Similar hopes are being pinned on a planned 560-kilometer high-speed railway connecting Guangzhou and Nanning, Guangxi that will be completed in 2008. The Guangzhou-Guilin expressway scheduled for completion at the end of this end or early next will cut travel time between the two cities to a bit more than five hours. Division of Responsibility -------------- ¶9. (U) Guangdong DRC's Zhang said government funds for transportation infrastructure projects are typically divided 50-50 between central and provincial government budgets. Municipal governments are in turn responsible for obtaining land and compensating farmers. (Note: to state the obvious, this has at times led to what amounts to confiscation, rather than compensation, with opportunities for enrichment of private contractors and construction companies and local government officials. (End Note) In general, central-level ministries take the lead in planning, closely coordinating with provincial DRC offices. Zhang acknowledged that planning for projects that cross multiple jurisdictions can be difficult to coordinate. U.S. Success in PRD Projects -------------- ¶10. (U) According to Guangdong DRC's Zhang, foreign companies are primarily involved in road, light rail, and airport projects in the PRD. Most foreign investment in port infrastructure comes from Hong Kong. U.S. companies have found the strongest foothold in selling technology and heavy machinery for road, metro, and airport projects. ¶11. (U) U.S. companies, including Caterpillar as well as a number of SMEs, are key suppliers of heavy-duty machinery used in road construction, such as paving equipment and excavators. PRD governments also rely on U.S. expertise in road maintenance, according to Professor Fu, who himself recently visited road maintenance firms in Michigan for training. ¶12. (U) Though European firms dominate the market in high-speed rail technologies, U.S. companies supply more rail maintenance equipment and service vehicles than their European competitors. U.S. high-tech companies such as IBM, Cisco, and HP have won contracts for many of the computer hardware and software contracts for metro systems in the PRD. U.S. companies have also found success in supplying air conditioning systems and general engineering for the Guangzhou and Shenzhen metro systems. Foreign Expertise in Management and Environmental Design -------------- -------------- ¶13. (U) As recently as the early 1990s, PRD governments rarely hired consulting companies on major infrastructure projects, as they were considered too expensive. In recent years, however, officials have increasingly looked to professional engineering and planning firms. PRD governments will send a team of experts to Britain in 2007 to study management and planning concepts, according to Professor Fu. One of the aims of the trip is to incorporate modern safety standards into PRD work sites. In addition, Guangzhou's Baiyun Airport is reportedly looking for foreign firms to help improve the airport's management. Already, the airport has accommodated Fedex's interest in handling certain air traffic control operations for its cargo flights into Baiyun. ¶14. (U) As the PRD focuses on a greener growth model and better energy efficiency, foreign services firms are also finding an expanding market for their services. The central government recognized Guangzhou for the energy efficiency of its metro in 2006. U.S. firm ITT provided air conditioning equipment for the metro, and Booz Allen designed its passenger interchanges. The main terminal at Guangzhou's Baiyun Airport, which has a design that utilizes natural light, was designed by U.S. architectural firm Parsons. Clearly, the key question for PRD planners is can they keep up with the service and infrastructure needs of a region whose economic development strategies are changing from a manufacture base to one that will require greater focus on services. Comment: An Opportunity for U.S. Companies -------------- -------------- ¶15. (U) PRD governments are eager to build a world-class transportation system in Guangdong, and are looking to Hong Kong and western countries for models. U.S. companies can continue to play a key role in both the design and construction phases of these projects. With the central government's push for improved energy GUANGZHOU 00000559 003 OF 003 efficiency, environmental awareness, and safety, U.S. companies with the right expertise and equipment are well positioned to benefit. U.S. firms will face ever greater competition from domestic consultants and machinery suppliers, however, as Chinese companies gain experience in the country's fast-paced development. GOLDBERG