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Chapter 2704 The Strongest Productivity (Fourth Update, Please Subscribe)
Mengdong Hydropower Station.

For Shan State, it is not just a giant hydroelectric power station, but a connecting channel to the outside world, opening up a passage between this landlocked country and the outside world.

Five years ago, construction began on the world's largest hydroelectric power station, and two years ago, the river was dammed, marking the start of large-scale concrete pouring for the dam. This is the most crucial and time-consuming stage.

At dawn, on the construction site of the Mengdong Hydropower Station, a giant tower crane stands like a steel giant on the top of the dam. With its long arm outstretched, a bucket full of concrete cuts through the sky and hovers above the dam formwork. Then, the hopper gate slowly opens, and the bluish-gray concrete pours down like a surging torrent.

People standing at a distance could vaguely see workers in overalls, holding vibrating rods, moving through the gaps in the formwork, working there.

"Based on the entire construction period, after another 36 months, once the dam body is poured to a certain height, the gate can be closed to begin the initial impoundment of the reservoir."

Wang Sizhe pointed to the dam under construction and said:
"The Mengdong Hydropower Station has a dam height of 241 meters, and it is designed as an ultra-large high dam. This height is sufficient to form a huge reservoir, and the backwater effect may extend for hundreds of kilometers, penetrating deep into the Shan State and even reaching the northern border."

This is precisely why the Salween River, which previously had limited navigational conditions, will undergo a fundamental transformation. The riverbed, once dotted with boulders, reefs, and numerous dangerous shoals, will be submerged by the rising water level. The backwater will create localized deep-water channels in the reservoir area, significantly improving navigation conditions and enabling 10,000-ton convoys to reach Xin'an Port directly.

As Wang Sizhe explained these things, the students around him were more surprised. These teenagers were no strangers to the significance of the Mengdong Hydropower Station. After all, in the past few years, the Mengdong Hydropower Station has been the most frequently mentioned project in Shan State.

"Sir, you mean that Xin'an will become a port city in the future?"

In response to the students' questions, Wang Sizhe replied:
"Yes, Xin'an, originally located inland, was close to the Salween River, but due to navigation limitations, it had almost no shipping capacity. However, with the increase in water level of the hydroelectric power station, it will become a true riverside city..."

Then Wang Sizhe pointed to the ship lock under construction in the distance and said:

"As you can see through the binoculars, that lock over there is the world's largest, with a designed annual throughput capacity of 4 million tons. Once it is completed, the biggest obstacle to Shan State's economic development will be a thing of the past..."

As Wang Sizhe spoke about the economic benefits of the lock in Shan State, near the lock construction site, Xu Haodong, a special affairs officer of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, looked at the giant lock under construction. His brows were furrowed, and he said:
"The initial design of the lock was for an annual one-way throughput capacity of 2 million tons. However, Your Excellency believed that this tonnage was too small and would soon reach saturation. Therefore, you required the engineers to have a forward-thinking approach, and the annual one-way throughput capacity was changed to 4 million tons, with an annual throughput of 5000 million tons. Thanks to the lock's throughput capacity, not only can products from Shan State enter the sea via the Salween River, but products from northern Siam can also enter the sea via the Salween River... It is expected that the lock will be put into use in three years when the first phase of water storage is completed. After the first phase of water storage, a preliminary reservoir area will be formed. 5000-ton inland container ships can directly reach Xin'an."

Xu Haodong then pointed north and said:
"Once the second phase of the hydropower station's water storage is completed and the reservoir extends upstream, 15000-ton river-sea container ships can reach Xin'an directly, while 5000-ton inland river container ships can reach Mengla directly. In other words... Daluo will also transform from an inland city into a port city..."

When the topic turned to port cities, Xu Haodong frowned, silently lit a cigarette, and then said:

“Daluo… although it’s just a small border town, what’s behind it?”

Hearing the executive director's question, Luo Jiashu, who was standing beside him, thought for a moment and said:

"It's a huge market of 900 million people."

His answer represents the thoughts of the vast majority of people.

However, Xu Haodong did not entirely agree with this.

Just as he said in the presidential palace—the most powerful and fearsome competitor!
Whether you like it or not, you have to face this reality. What is this reality?
As he nodded in agreement, he added:

"What we are facing is not a market of 900 million people, but competitors of 900 million people."

Taking a drag of his cigarette, Xu Haodong emphasized again:

"And what does this sea route connect? It's not just Shan State, but also Daluo, and the nearly 200 million people in the southwest region behind Daluo. This market is extremely limited, but their production is very likely to explode like never before..."

He said with a solemn expression:

"This represents hundreds of millions of workers. They are educated to a certain extent, and their wages are only a dozen dollars. Moreover, they have abundant resources. Once they enter the world market, the productivity they bring will be astonishing..."

How amazing would that be?

Xu Haodong had the answer in his heart, but he was unwilling to imagine it, because he knew very well what he was worried about now was everything that was going to happen next—the industrial transfer.

"Cheap labor costs and hardworking workers—the next few years will be a severe test for us..." Hearing this from the executive director, Luo Jiashu replied:

"The situation is not actually that severe. Just as you said back then, if you don't upgrade your industry, then you will eventually be eliminated."

Over the past few years, our economy has made rapid progress, and this year's GDP is expected to exceed 400 billion US dollars. However, labor-intensive export industries such as textiles, clothing, electronics, and toys remain our mainstays.

What are Siam's pillar industries now? They are heavy industries such as shipbuilding, steel, automobiles, and chemicals. In comparison, our industrial upgrading is limited... or rather, it can be said that there has been almost no upgrading.

As a key figure in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Luo Jiashu had his own ideas about industrial planning.

“We are different from them.”

Xu Haodong frowned and said:
"Among all the Southeast Asian countries, we are the youngest and also the worst in terms of conditions. Back then, Xin'an didn't even have a high school. The first high school was built with the help of SEA. Although we have been committed to improving the level of education in recent years, the popularization of education is far behind the growth of the population."

What does he mean by this population growth?
The continuous influx of immigrants brought cheap labor to Shan State, which enabled the state to develop labor-intensive industries and achieve economic take-off.

"The arrival of a large number of migrants has boosted our economic development. However, we must also recognize that their education level is limited. Although many of them are junior high school or high school students, their actual education level is not high due to environmental constraints. This also means that very few of them can get into university, and they tend to focus on making money rather than going to university."

And what about our universities?
The pool of students we face is primarily composed of homegrown talent, thus limiting their numbers. This directly results in a limited number of highly skilled professionals in our country, and this shortage of highly skilled talent, in turn, hinders our industrial upgrading.

While analyzing the dilemmas and limitations of industrial upgrading in Shan State, Xu Haodong frowned, and then he said:

"And that is the fundamental reason why we need labor-intensive industries, because even now, new immigrants arrive every day and they need jobs."

What is another effect of positive publicity?
More people are choosing to come here, and the arrival of new immigrants continues to contribute to the development of Shan State. After all, they are all strong and healthy young people.

"Yes, Executive Director, this is the reality we are facing now: more and more new immigrants are pouring in. On the surface, it seems that their arrival is boosting our economic development, but what is the reality?"

Luo Jiashu looked at the executive director in front of him and said:
“We can accept another 100 million, 200 million, 300 million, or even 500 million or 1000 million people, but... there are hundreds of millions of people there, and we can't possibly accept everyone!”

Hearing Luo Jiashu's words, Xu Haodong frowned deeply. He knew, of course, that what the other man said was true.

"In fact, Executive Vice President, we don't need that many people anymore. If we continue to keep our doors open like this, we will be dragged down. The constant influx of new immigrants will not bring labor, but rather a burden that hinders economic development..."

His description made Xu Haodong frown even more, and he said:
"Director Luo, you should know that our economic development relies on them."

"Yes, but we can't accept everyone without limit or screening! What we need is more highly skilled talent, not just ordinary labor!"

Looking directly at the executive director, Luo Jiashu emphasized again:

"Now, we must take some measures to restrict the entry of immigrants. After all, among the countries in Southeast Asia, we have the lowest threshold—no, we have no threshold at all. Theoretically speaking, this is unsustainable and must be changed."

We are officials from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and we are very clear about the extent to which our economy can absorb people, and the vast majority of our current population of 900 million are strong and healthy young adults.

Our baby boom has never stopped, and in 20 years, even without absorbing immigrants, our population will exceed 2500 million.

If we don't take appropriate measures, then we'll have to consider whether our children will have sufficient job opportunities!

Then Luo Jiashu's tone became even more agitated, and he said:

"Executive Director, we are officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. We must have a long-term vision not only when planning industries, but also when handling national affairs. We cannot only focus on the present, but also consider the future... Executive Director! The future is what we must protect!"

Looking at Luo Jiashu, who seemed somewhat agitated, Xu Haodong pondered for a moment and then asked:
So what are your thoughts?

(End of this chapter)