The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 680 Mekong River Development

In the courtyard.

Liu Tao is meeting with the Mekong Development Planning Group as he prepares for tomorrow's meeting.

This development planning group has been established for four years.

Hundreds of millions of RMB have been invested so far, and the development planning team is mainly composed of Chinese experts, with a small number of experts from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

The Mekong River originates in QH Province of my country and is called Canglan River in my country. The Canglan River flows through Qinghai, Tibet and Yunnan Provinces, and exits in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, where it is called the Mekong River. It flows through Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and South Vietnam, and finally flows into the South China Sea in Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam.

The Mekong River is the boundary between Thailand, Laos and most of Cambodia.

As the only international river in Asia connecting six countries, the Mekong River is known as the 'Danube of the East'.

However, such a waterway with a superior geographical location has a long dry season, many dangerous rapids and waterfalls on the main stream, and greater navigation risks. For a long time, the waterway has been relatively primitive and the shipping capacity is very limited.

Previously, China, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos signed the "Cang Lan-Mekong River Commercial Shipping Navigation Agreement", which clearly defined the waters from Simao Port in Yunnan Province, China to Luang Prabang in Laos as international open waters, and Mekong River shipping began to be legalized.

A few years ago, Yunnan Province launched the Mekong River upper reaches waterway improvement project, which took four years to complete and initially achieved the ability to accommodate 350-ton ships.

By last year, the cargo throughput of Jinghong Port had reached 5 tons.

But this is just the beginning, just the starting point. Next, we need to develop the Mekong River shipping and increase the navigation capacity from 350-ton ships to 500-ton ships.

In this regard, we need to step up rectification.

There will be 14 ports and docks along the entire Mekong River.

When seeing them off, Liu Tao couldn't help but shook his head slightly.

The Lancang-Mekong River waterway regulation project will be divided into three phases, each lasting five years. The goal of the first phase is to significantly improve the conditions of the international waterway after regulation, allowing 500-ton ships to pass through all year round. The second phase is to allow 750-ton ships to pass through all year round. The goal of the third phase is to allow 1000-ton ships to pass through the waterway all year round.

The entire project will span 20 years, with an estimated total investment of RMB 400 billion.

But Liu Tao knew that the total investment would probably reach 1000 billion yuan when the entire project was completed.

This includes rising labor costs and increased material prices.

Although the navigation capacity of this waterway seems to be limited, with the total tonnage of ships passing through it only increasing tenfold, in fact the cargo throughput will increase by a hundred times, a thousand times, or even ten thousand times, which is of great significance.

More importantly, the Lancang-Mekong River waterway will strengthen the ties between China, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.

"Avoiding Ho Chi Minh City and converting the artificial waterway into 100 kilometers is a huge project." Liu Tao thought about it.

Although this section is only navigable for 5000-ton ships, a lot of earth and stone needs to be excavated in this 100-kilometer river channel. It is estimated that the excavation volume is about 2 to 3 million cubic meters.

Here, in addition to sand that can be sold, a lot of soil needs to be found in earthwork dumps.

The reason for digging an artificial canal is naturally to be on the safe side.

South Vietnam has not let go of its hatred now. It can be said that it is a time bomb that may explode at any time. How can Liu Tao let the lifeline be in the hands of South Vietnam by developing the Mekong River waterway?

Of course, we have to be prepared for the worst. After all, the downstream section is in other countries' territory, so it would be easy for them to find fault with us, or even just block the river, making the Mekong River unnavigable.

At night, in a hotel in Beijing.

The Thai military delegation was accommodated here.

"Now I have a concern, that is, whether the Chinese can build an aircraft carrier. After all, we know that China itself does not have an aircraft carrier. I doubt they can build an aircraft carrier." The head of the navy came to Chavalit Yongchaiyud's room and said with some concern.

Their biggest goal is to order an aircraft carrier from China.

But the problem is, everyone knows that China does not have an aircraft carrier.

Just thinking about this is an incredible thing.

"China is developing very fast, even faster than Thailand. Their high-speed rail technology is very advanced. You have also seen China's escort fleet. The frigates and destroyers are very advanced." Chavalit Yongchaiyud said: "The Chinese are not without aircraft carriers, but because of their economic problems, they focus on developing the economy and have little military spending, so they don't build aircraft carriers."

"Moreover, even if we fail to reach an agreement on the aircraft carrier, if we can order frigates and destroyers, we will have achieved our goal." Chavalit Yongchaiyud is not 100% sure about getting the aircraft carrier.

Because of the advanced missile boats, torpedo boats, frigates and destroyers, they are able to fully meet the needs of the Thai Navy.

"The Chinese don't have aircraft carriers because they don't have the money to build them. We don't have high requirements for aircraft carriers. With China's capabilities, they can help us build them. This is also a good opportunity for them to make money. We all know them. As long as there is enough profit, they are willing to sell even the most advanced weapons." Chavalit Yongchaiyud said, and then glanced at the head of the navy: "Don't be fooled by Westerners and think that China is poor and backward, just like the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Whoever believes this is a fool."

The current mainstream view of China in the world is that the Chinese have a pig's tail in their hair and are poor and backward.

But anyone who understands will sneer at it.

What a joke! Anyone with a little common sense would know that it is impossible.

If that were true, how could China have developed the "two bombs and one satellite"?
Thailand is very close to China, so this feeling is even more obvious.

Just look at Thailand’s neighbors, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and you’ll have an idea of ​​what they are like.

How come the overseas Chinese in Thailand have developed so fast? What's behind it? Doesn't he know?
What is the background of that Thai security company? Doesn’t he know?

Precisely because they basically understand the situation, they turn a blind eye and let it be as long as the security company does not go too far.

There is no stupid person who can reach this position. Anyone who is a little stupid would have been eliminated long ago.

"Everyone is here for a friendly visit this time, so please mind yourselves and don't cause trouble. If anyone causes trouble, don't blame me for being ruthless! This is the capital, not Bangkok!" Chavalit Yongchaiyud warned his men again. He was afraid that some people would not be able to control themselves and cause trouble, which would be difficult to deal with.

In Bangkok, given their status and the power they hold, they can almost do whatever they want with impunity.

But it’s not possible in the capital.

If something happens here, he can't help clean up the mess or rescue anyone.

The others nodded quickly. They knew this well. After all, they had only left the Celestial Empire for about a hundred years.

(End of this chapter)