The first episode of 'Amazing China', 'Dream Projects', takes viewers through super projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Humaling Tunnel, Zhengzhou-Wanzhou Railway, Fuxing high-speed train, Shanghai Yangshan Port automated terminal, and China Mobile Internet, showcasing how a vast network of infrastructure has been woven over the past five years, creating a hopeful blueprint for the people's journey toward happiness and prosperity, and supporting the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. On October 2, CCTV's Focus Interview highlighted 'Amazing China', stating that every Chinese person is both a witness and a builder.
The documentary 'Dream Projects' truthfully reveals the proud Chinese technology behind these 'super projects'. Ultimately, the strength and speed of China's technological development are what is most shocking and moving to every Chinese person. This also tells us that supporting 'super projects' is by no means just steel and concrete; behind them lies a nation's economic strength and technological innovation. Ports, railways, terminals, bridges, the Internet, and other infrastructure, as the basic conditions for the economic development of a country or region, are closely related to almost all production processes and welfare in social and economic development. The level of infrastructure construction and development plays a very important role in economic development and is even regarded as a prerequisite for a country's economic 'takeoff'.
According to World Bank statistics, the increase in infrastructure stock in developing countries shows a significant positive correlation with economic growth; generally, for every 1% increase in infrastructure, GDP grows by 1% accordingly. Therefore, all countries attach great importance to infrastructure investment. In the first 30 years before reform and opening up, China's infrastructure was far from meeting the needs of economic development. One-third of industrial production capacity could not be utilized due to power shortages, and the increased industrial costs due to inadequate transportation facilities accounted for about 1% of GNP. To this end, China increased infrastructure investment, greatly alleviating the 'bottleneck' restricting economic development and providing a guarantee for rapid economic growth.
However, the relationship between infrastructure and economic growth depends not only on the total amount of infrastructure but is also closely related to the structure of infrastructure. Research has found that infrastructure structure varies with the level of economic development of a country or region. In economically backward countries, infrastructure such as drinking water and irrigation is very important; in moderately developed countries, the proportion of agriculture is relatively low, safe and clean drinking water is basically available, and various transportation, power, and telecommunications infrastructures occupy an important position; in economically developed countries, high-tech infrastructure such as the Internet accounts for a more important share of stock and investment.
Infrastructure by no means means just steel and concrete. In recent years, being driven by modern high technology has become a basic feature of today's world infrastructure. Economically developed countries all strive to arm and build infrastructure with the most modern technology. The construction level and technological progress of infrastructure in a country or region reflect its overall national economic development level and technological level.
It is against this background that the 'super projects' in China's infrastructure centrally reflect China's economic strength and technological level. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, a milestone project in the history of China's transportation construction introduced at the beginning of 'Dream Projects', has a total length of 55 kilometers and is currently the world's longest sea-crossing bridge. This super project can be called the pinnacle of world bridge construction history. The No. 2 tunnel of the Humaling Tunnel is regarded as the 'Gate of Hell'. Stabilizing the mud and sand in the tunnel is extremely difficult; even German tunnel experts who came here a year ago with top equipment and construction teams were at a loss. The Chinese technology developed through exploration by nearly 30 engineers and tens of thousands of workers from China Railway 19th Bureau Group, the contractor for the Humaling Tunnel, solved this world-class problem through multiple innovative processes.
On the surface, infrastructure such as bridges and railways is just a pile of steel and concrete, but behind each 'super project' is often the economic strength and technological power brought by the rise of China's comprehensive national strength. It is understood that the documentary 'Amazing China' mentions world first, global first, and world's best more than 40 times, and these world firsts are all new world firsts. From the Fuxing, China's first standard EMU train with a operating speed of up to 350 kilometers per hour, to the world's largest and most advanced Shanghai Yangshan Port automated terminal; from the world's largest mobile Internet to the South-to-North Water Diversion, West-East Gas Pipeline, West-East Power Transmission, and other projects, each super project and each world best proves to the world that China's infrastructure construction has entered a new stage.
On the one hand, rapid economic development has provided strong market demand for 'super projects'; on the other hand, 'super projects' have boosted the industrial chain through technological innovation. China's high-speed rail is an example. The Apollo moon landing program brought the United States more than a decade of leadership in the technology industry. It is believed that China's 'super projects' will also lead related high-tech industries through innovation-driven development and become one of the important engines for China's sustained and healthy economic growth.
Therefore, we can say that these 'super projects' are one fruitful milestone after another in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.