Chinese Builders Wanted in the US

In recent years, China’s economy and cities have grown exponentially. This growth has forced them to design new bridges, roads, train tracks, train stations, and airports. This recent experience has made  China masters at infrastructure and infrastructure plannning. That is why the US is calling on China to help them update, repair, and grow their roads, bridges, and railways.

The US’s Call for Help

The US is widely know for its economic and technological power. So why are they calling in help from China?  America’s bridges and road systems are dilaidated and old. At the 2017 US-China Transportation Cooperation Forum, experts from both countries agreed that the US could benefit from the Chinese help. Luo Linquan China’s consul general stated, "China and the US cooperation on the infrastructure front is posed to become the new highlight in the trade engagement between the two countries." The western region of the US such as California and bordering states in 2016 had an export import value of $201 billion dollars in 2016. This figure could grow substantially if China begins working with the US to improve their infrastructure. Donald Trump has announced $1 trillion in new spending on roads, bridges, and other construction over the next decade. The US civil engineering association estimated the country would need to invest $3.6 trillion to build and upgrade infrastructures nationwide by 2020. These figures leave a lot of room for potential for the potential to have foreign building and cooperation. Chad Edison, deputy secretary for transportation at California's state transportation agency, said the transportation system in the state, which he described as "not as efficient as it should be", could stand to be improved with China’s experience and services. Micheal Lee is the president of China Railway Signal and Communication Corp, has stated that he would like to build the companies “second home” in the US. He also recognizes that while the US infrastructure may be outdated, the standards are also very high so this could help the Chinese to learn and grow from working with the US. This partnership between the US and China can be seen has part of the One Belt One Road initiative that China has started implementing. Aiming to offer growth and benefits for all countries involved.