WORLD
10 | Tuesday, July 30, 2019 CHINA DAILY
A woman helps her two little girls play on a seesaw installed between the border fence that divides Mex-
ico from the United States in Ciudad de Juarez, Mexico, on Sunday. The maker of this seesaw is Ronaldo
Rael, a professor of architecture in California. CHRISTIAN TORRES / ASSOCIATED PRESSBorder seesaw
Water project
will benefit
over 600,
China Development Bank provided
85 percent of funds in Sri Lanka
By KELUM SHIVANTHA
in Attanagalla, Sri Lanka
For China Daily
Deep in the hilly woods of Sri
Lanka, a water plant project is
under construction by Chinese
and local workers. By early next
year, it aims to bring clean and safe
water to 600,000 nearby residents.
The China Machinery Engineer-
ing Corporation, or CMEC, is the
largest company involved in build-
ing the pipe-borne water treat-
ment plant 40 kilometers north of
the capital city of Colombo in the
western part of the country.
According to Yang Wei, executive
manager at the site of Gampaha,
Attanagalla and Minuwangoda
integrated water supply plant, or
GAMIWSS, it is one of the biggest
China-Sri Lanka cooperation pro-
jects and aims to elevate the local
people’s livelihood.
About 200 workers are present-
ly working with steel and cement
at the site. The peak phase of the
project engaged 300 workers,
including 200 or so local staff. The
purification tank has been c
The island nation of Sri Lanka
has abundant freshwater. Over
two-thirds of the nation receives
an annual rainfall of more than
1,500 mm and most areas are usu-
ally green. Yet, it is essential to
clean existing water resources for
public use.
According to the World Health
Organization, acidity and heavy
metal residue in drinking water is
one of the main causes for chronic
kidney disease of unidentified eti-
ology, or CKDu, one of the most
serious non-communicable diseas-
es affecting thousands of people in
Sri Lanka and a major burden on
the country’s health system.
Dr Kamal Gammanpila, a
researcher at Imperial College
University in London, said high
use of chemical fertilizers also con-
tributes to CKDu.
Data from the National Water
Supply and Drainage Board show
35 percent of households in the
nation of more than 20 million
people are in dire need of clean,
pipe-borne fresh water.
Yang said the water treatment
plant will have a daily processing
capacity of 54,000 tons and a daily
water supply of 85,000 tons. It
includes a comprehensive infra-
structure for the supply and laying
of 720 kilometers of pipe network
apart from the plant itself.
The builders have “to cut paths
through mountains and build
bridges across rivers”, Yang was
quoted by a report on cmec.com
website.
“If there is no road, we build
one. If there are low-lying areas,
we fill them up. If the hillside goes
beyond the elevation, we move it
away. If the construction space is
small, we increase the comprehen-
sive utilization. Methods are
always more than difficulties!”
Yang said.
So far, 70 percent of the con-
struction has been completed and
upon completion, he said. “After
this is complete, it will cover water
supply for 197 square kilometers.”
The Attanagalla water project,
initiated in 2014, uses the water
source of a branch of the Attanaga-
lu Oya to divert water from Karas-
nagala. Its main objective is to
solve the water needs in the Atta-
nagalla, Mirigama, Minuwangoda
and Mahara areas of Gampaha
District in the Western Province.
The project is 85 percent funded
by the China Development Bank.
The Bank of Ceylon will provide
the government with the rest 15
percent. The total estimated cost
of the project is $34 million.Sacred bodhi tree
At the construction site a bodhi
tree is often seen draped in protec-
tive “armor” despite limited space.
Yang said their staffs specially pro-
vide a piece of land for this tree
because they’ve learned that local
people see the bodhi tree as sacred
because Buddha found enlighten-
ment under a bodhi tree.
Yang said usually one tower
crane is sufficient for such a limit-
ed site. However, due to the special
geographical location of the
project, a tower crane cannot cov-
er the whole construction area
with affecting the surrounding
trees. “We have no choice but to
provide another tower crane in the
diagonal position,” he said.
As one of the earliest Chinese
companies operating in Sri Lanka,
CMEC is keen on local public wel-
fare while undertaking important
construction projects. Whenever
there is a natural disaster in Sri
Lanka, CMEC is always the first
foreign company to donate relief
supplies to the affected people,
Yang said.
At the end of last year, CMEC
donated a batch of water purifica-
tion equipment to Mihintale Tem-
ple and the people of surrounding
areas in the North-Central part of
Sri Lanka.“This measure was
highly appreciated,” Yang said.
He also suggested that Sri Lanka
build more purifiers and a proper
sewage system to ensure clean
water.
Noting that many Sri Lankans
use shallow wells to draw drinking
water, Yang said that the country
has many suitable locations where
water purifiers could be built for a
healthier, and a more concrete
solution.The author, a freelance journalist
for China Daily, is also editor-in-
chief of srilankamirror.com.An aerial photograph shows the site of Gampaha, Attanagalla
and Minuwangoda integrated water supply project in February.
KELUM SHIVANTHA / FOR CHINA DAILY
Despite hiccups, Oregon’s trade
ties with China remain strong
By LIU YINMENG
and LINDA DENG in Portland, OregonThe largest processor and mar-
keter of hazelnuts in the United
States says the industry is feeling
the pinch of the US-China trade
standoff.
“It’s really hurting farmers here,
and it’s breaking down long-term
relationships between us and Chi-
na, and our customers there, so we
are being forced to look to other pla-
ces for customers, and, honestly, the
relationships we have with the Chi-
nese buyers are so important,” Larry
George, president of George Pack-
ing Company Hazelnuts, the largest
processor and marketer of hazel-
nuts in the US, told China Daily.
Oregon’s hazelnut growers export
60 percent of their crop, and more
than 90 percent of the flavorful nuts
are shipped to China.
George was one of many Chinese
and US government officials and
business representatives attending
the ninth annual Oregon-China
Economic Forum in Portland on
Friday.
Despite some of the difficulties
arising from the trade dispute, Ore-
gon is one of the few US states
enjoying a trade surplus with China.
“I think the Oregon-China rela-
tionship as it comes to trade is a
very important one in helping to
maintain sustainability, peace and
success for both of our peoples,” said
Richard Vial, Oregon deputy secre-
tary of state.
Vial stressed how communica-tion transcends cultural barriers,
prevents misunderstanding and
fosters people-to-people exchanges.
“This is what trade does for two
countries and two peoples. It brings
people together in ways that allow
us to get to know one another, and
in the process, we come to appreci-
ate just how much alike we really
are,” he said.
Mae Yih, a former member of
both houses of the Oregon Legisla-
ture, who helped facilitate the Ore-
gon-Fujian sister-state agreement,
emphasized the importance of
building trust and personal con-
tacts.
“During my time in the Oregon
legislature, I organized many legis-
lative leadership, friendship and
trade missions to China because I
knew that personal contacts were
essential in increasing understand-
ing, friendship, trust, trade and
mutual prosperity,” she said.Interdependence
Wang Donghua, Chinese consul
general in San Francisco, reminded
attendees of the unique economic
interdependence between the US
and China.
In 2018, the value of US-China
trade reached $659.8 billion. Two-
way investment between the two
countries exceeded $230 billion at
the end of last year, the consul gen-
eral said.
Chinese visitors to the United
States, who totaled 2.9 million in
2018, spent $36 billion traveling in
the US. There are currently around400,000 Chinese students in the US,
and together they contribute
around $18 billion to local econo-
mies.
“History tells us that China and
the US are important partners, rath-
er than adversaries,” Wang said.
According to the US Trade Repre-
sentative’s Office, China is Oregon’s
largest export market. Oregon
exported $4.8 billion in goods to
China in 2018, representing 21 per-
cent of the state’s total goods
exported.
Exports from the state to China
jumped 52 percent from 2008 to- Oregon’s exports to China sup-
ported 31,200 US jobs in 2016, the
US-China Business Council reported.
Although Oregon’s top exports to
China were electric products and
computer components, it is also the
US’ 24th largest agricultural-ex-
porting state, shipping $1.9 billion
in agricultural products in 2017.
Some cattle farmers in the North-
west state also expressed their desire
in accessing the Chinese market.
“We work with the US Meat
Export Federation, the Oregon
Department of Agriculture and oth-
ers to assist with export-market
access and development for Oregon
and US beef. So I have been interest-
ed in the China market, and it is
open now, so it should have long-
term growth potential,” said Willi-
am M. Wise, chief executive officer
of the Oregon Beef Council.
Contact the writers at
[email protected].RV industry
suffers sales
decline due
to tariffs
By SCOTT REEVES in New York
[email protected]The truce between the United
States and China in imposing
new tariffs hasn’t reversed the
recreational vehicle industry’s
declining sales, and the slide is
likely to continue, analysts said.
Falling RV sales are a proxy for
the health of the US economy and
underscore the need for the Fed-
eral Reserve Bank to cut interest
rates to keep the expansion alive,
one economist believes.
“Right now, we’re halfway
through the second year of
declining RV sales,” Michael
Hicks, professor of economics at
Ball State University in Muncie,
Indiana, told China Daily.
“There’s no realistic chance of
things turning around in the sec-
ond half of 2019. The RV industry
can be a bellwether of recession.”
RV purchases are discretionary
and provide a rough gauge of con-
sumer sentiment. Consumer
spending represents about 68 per-
cent of the US economy, including
housing, healthcare and food.
Economic growth dipped to 2.
percent in the second quarter
after growing at a 3.1 percent
annual rate in the first — a
decline of 32.26 percent, the US
Bureau of Economic Analysis
reported. In part, many blame
the slowdown on the ongoing
US-China trade imbroglio.
In its fiscal third quarter,
Motor home manufacturer Win-
nebago’s revenue declined to
$528.9 million, a decrease of 5.
percent from the same period the
previous year. But profit grew 1.
percent to $85.5 million. That
represents cost-containment
practices and selling a greater
number of towed trailers. Trail-
ers typically sell for $7,500 to
$20,000 each, while top-of-the
line motor homes with kitchens,
baths and sleeping space for as
many as 12, exceed $200,000.
Hicks said many RV builders in
Indiana, where about 85 percent
of motor homes and trailers are
assembled, have cut production
as sales slow. That jolts the local
economy because until recently
employees have been able to work
as many hours as they choose.
The industry also is roiled by
world events as builders scram-
ble to find suppliers in Vietnam,
Japan and South Korea, which
can deliver parts not affected by
tariffs.
“I think the Fed will cut rates as
an inoculation against future
problems,” Hicks said. “Inflation
is low, and the labor market is
strong. By not reducing rates, the
US will be an outlier, and that will
make exports more expensive.”
With the exception of the
bursting of the housing bubble in
2005, and the collapse of some
financial institutions such as
Lehman Brothers in 2008, reces-
sions have been moderate for the
last 40 years. If a recession hits,
it’s likely to be moderate and
short, Hicks said.A warning sign
The US economy totaled about
$20.41 trillion in 2018. That
means a decline in consumer
spending won’t be an apocalyp-
tic event — except to those who
personally experience cutbacks.
Slowing consumer sales aren’t
the only warning sign of possible
economic trouble ahead in the US.
In 2015 and 2016, foreign direct
investment in the US totaled $
billion and $486 billion, respec-
tively, the US Commerce Depart-
ment reported. But trade disputes
in 2017 cut FDI by about 40 per-
cent to $292 billion and another
8.2 percent to $268 billion in 2018.
First-quarter 2019 FDI
dropped another 5 percent from
the previous quarter. The United
Nations Conference on Trade and
Development said the US share of
global FDI declined for the first
time since 2008, to 23 percent
from 25 percent. The decline in
foreign investment means the US
is exporting jobs, analysts said.
That’s hardly reassuring to
those working in the US automo-
tive, technology and agricultural
sectors, perhaps the hardest hit
by the US-China trade dispute.Tea baked in clay ovens heats up Pakistan
ISLAMABAD — It’s a cuppa like
no other. Every evening in Islama-
bad a crowd arrives at Sanaullah’s
street stall to taste his “tandoori
chai” — milk tea served in terracot-
ta mugs, still hot from his tradition-
al oven.
The old-fashioned cups are placed
directly inside the tandoor oven,
where they are baked at high tem-
peratures.
The tea, prepared separately, is
then poured into the cups, where it
starts to boil on hitting the hot clay.
In Pakistan, where the classic
milk tea — thick, strong, and gener-
ously sweet — dominates all strata
of society, the particular alchemy of
tandoori chai seduces patrons
intrigued by its traditional roots and
distinct earthy taste.
The tandoor is ubiquitous in
South Asia, most commonly used to
bake bread.
But the concept of making tea this
way, is the main draw for many,
explained Sanaullah, the jovial own-
er of a trendy shop located in an
upmarket area of the Pakistani capi-
tal.
“The process of making it is really
very interesting, which makes peo-
ple like it,” he said, adding that the
tea also has a smoky flavor which
attracts many.
Sitting among the customers on a
low rush stool, Muhammad Ishaq
Khawar is a frequent customer.
“There is a different kind ofatmosphere, especially the way in
which we are served tea. It was a
very old system which goes back to
the old days when the terracotta
pots were used,” he said.
It may seem like a niche product
but the drink has become so popular
the Tandoori Chai Company cafes,
which recently launched in Lahore,
has expanded to a second branch.
Coffee culture has caught on in
Pakistan’s main cities with big name
chains and local cafes are a hit with
urban youths. Yet tea, regardless of
how it is prepared, is nonetheless an
essential component of the daily
menu.The country is one of the top tea
consumers globally, according to
research firm Euromonitor Inter-
national, while a recent study by
Gallup found 73 percent of Paki-
stani tea drinkers have at least two
or more cups a day.
“Not only in Pakistan, but in the
entire subcontinent, it has been
mixed in our blood,” said Moham-
mad Asim Khan, a customer at a
small eatery in Islamabad.
He added: “Your physical fatigue
will go away by taking tea and you
get fresh.”AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSEPeople gather to drink tandoori chai in clay pots at a market in
Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 29. FAROOQ NAEEM / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSEIf there is no road, we
build one. If there are
low-lying areas, we fill
them up. If the hillside
goes beyond the
elevation, we move it
away. ... Methods are
always more than
difficulties!”
Yang Wei, executive manager
at the site of the water plant