bbc news - wang jing_ the man behind the nicaragua canal project

3/20/2015 BBCNewsWangJing:ThemanbehindtheNicaraguacanalproject

http://www.bbc.com/news/worldasiachina31936549?OCID=fbasia 1/3

CHINA18March2015Lastupdatedat22:32

WangJing:ThemanbehindtheNicaraguacanalproject

TheChinesebillionairewhointendstobuildashippingcanalthroughNicaraguaconnectingtheAtlanticandthePacifichasdismissedtheproject'scritics.

SpeakingtotheBBCinararebroadcastinterview,WangJingsaidthathavingChinesecompaniesleadingtheprojectwillhelpensureitssuccess.

MrWang'scompanyHKNDbeganinitialsiteworkinNicaragualastDecemberbutthecanalprojectisscheduledtobegininearnestafterpublicationoftheenvironmentalassessmentnextmonth.

Withnoexperienceininfrastructure,abackgroundintraditionalChinesemedicine,andafortunemadeintelecoms,the42yearoldChinesebillionaireisembarkingonwhatisarguablytheworld'sbiggestconstructionproject.

"Ifeelgreatpressurebecausenomatterhowwellweprepare,newproblemswillinevitablycropup,"MrWangsaid.

"Wecan'tthinkofeverythinginadvance.Butwecantrytosolveeachproblemasitemerges."

Theproblemsareonanepicscale.

TheNicaraguancanalwillbemorethanthreetimesaslongasthePanamaCanaltothesouth.Itwillalsobemuchwideranddeepertofitthenextgenerationofvastcontainerships.

WangJing'scompanyHKNDestimatesthatthecanalwillcost$50bn(34bn)andtakefiveyearstobuild.

HefacesahostofopponentsandscepticsrangingfromlocalresidentstoengineersandenvironmentalistsconcernedabouttheimpactonCentralAmerica'slargestlake.

ButwhenIputarangeofconcernstoMrWang,herejectedthemall.

"Actionsspeaklouderthanwords,"hesaid."We'llconvinceeverybodywiththefacts.We'llconvincethembysucceeding.

"Thebiggestpressurecomesfromhavingtowinrecognitionfromtheworld.Icannotletthisprojectbecomeaninternationaljoke."

'Quickresults'WangJingdidn'tstrikemeasmuchofajoker.Hespokeslowly,choosinghiswordswithcare.Hesatverystillandwastednoenergyongestures,smalltalkoremotion.

WemetintheBeijingheadquartersofhistelecomscompanyXinwei.

Behindhimonthewallofhisconferenceroomwastheslogan"ServetheCountry"andheworealapelpinwiththenationalflag.

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3/20/2015 BBCNewsWangJing:ThemanbehindtheNicaraguacanalproject

http://www.bbc.com/news/worldasiachina31936549?OCID=fbasia 2/3

Hisstafftreatedhimwithdeference.Andbeforeheenteredtheroom,theywentdownbothsidesoftheconferencetablewithapieceofstring,meticulouslyaligningcups,pencilsandwaterbottles.

Outsideinthecorridorweresignsreading"protectingstatesecretsistoppriority"andinthereceptionarea,exhortationsto"enjoyhardworkandfighthard".

'Commerciallyviable'MrWangexpectsquickresultsfromallthishardwork.

Between2010and2014,histelecomscompanywentfromlossmakertostarstockmarketperformer.

Andonthecanalproject,hetoldmehedidn'tpaymuchattentiontoscepticswhoquestionedhisfiveyeartimetable"whilesittingindoorslookingatamap".

Hebasedhisconfidenceontheexpertiseofthecompanieshehasrecruited.

"Fordecadesnow,Chinesefirmshavebuiltupawealthofexperienceandexpertisewithlargeinfrastructureprojects.

"SohavingChinesecompaniesleadingthisprojectaddsenormouslytoitsprospectsofsuccess.Thisisourstrength."

Hewassimilarlydismissiveofthosewhovoicedcommercialreservationsabouttheprojectedrevenuefromthecanal,observingthatshippingwasbeinghitbyrailfreightandtheindustrialcentresoftheworldmaybemovingawayfromAsia.

"Ninetypercentofworldtradeisbysea.Shippingischeaperandmoreconvenientthantransportbyrail.

"Itdoesn'tmatterwhereindustriesarelocatedbecausethiscanalisconnectingEastandWest.It'sdefinitelycommerciallyviableotherwisewewouldn'tbeinvestinginit."

However,thefinancingoftheprojectisstillshroudedinmysteryandconstructionwillnotstartinearnestuntilpublicationoftheenvironmentalimpactassessment,whichisduenextmonth.

MrWangsaidtherewouldbefulldisclosurewhenthetimewasright.

"Weareintalkswithlocalpeople,evenopponentsoftheplan.Wewanttoproduceathoroughreportbutthattakestime.

"Thisisnotwithholdinginformation,it'sbeingresponsible.Wewanttobeseenasheroesmakinghistorynotvillains,soweneedtime."

Nicaraguaisoneofthepoorestcountriesintheworld,withonlyrudimentaryinfrastructure.

BeforeHKNDcanstartworkonthecanalproper,thecompanywillhavetobuildportsandroadsfitforheavyconstructionequipment.

Oncecompletein2020,thecontractenvisagesfreetradezones,internationalports,touristresortsandaninternationalairport.

HKNDwillmanagethecanalfor100years.ButWangJinghimselfisarelativenewcomertoCentralAmerica,makinghisfirstvisitin2012attheinvitationofPresidentDanielOrtega.

Whatwerehisfirstimpressions?

"Ithoughtthiscountryreallyneededthiscanal.Nicaraguaisabeautifulcountrywithalonghistoryandrichculture,butmanypeoplethereliveinpoverty.

Ifthecanalcanbebuiltsuccessfully,itwilltransformtheeconomyandpeople'slives."

'Belongtomyself'MrWang'stelecomscompanyhasalsowonabigcontractinNicaragua.

HeishappytodescribehimselfasaChinesepatriot.AndatXinwei'sBeijingheadquarters,hehashostedvisitsfromseniorgovernmentandCommunistPartyleaders.

3/20/2015 BBCNewsWangJing:ThemanbehindtheNicaraguacanalproject

http://www.bbc.com/news/worldasiachina31936549?OCID=fbasia 3/3

ButheinsiststhatheisaprivatecitizenrunningaprivatecompanyandthatanytalkoftheNicaraguacanalasaChinesestrategicpushintotheUS"backyard"ismeaningless.

"Nowtheglobaleconomyissodeveloped,youcan'tsayanythingisanybody'sbackyard,"hesaid."ThiscanalwillbenefittheUSeconomy.IthinkAmericanswillbehappytoseeit."

WangJingrarelygivesmediainterviewsandourshadtakenweekstosetup.

Butifthismammothcanalprojectdoesgoahead,hewillfindhimselfunderthespotlightforthenextfiveyears.Butdoeshelikethelimelight?

"Idon'tlikeitatall.Ihopepeoplewillpaymoreattentiontotheproject,andlessattentiontome.

"Theprojectbelongstotheworld,andIbelongtomyself."

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