Shanghai city of superlatives
Oct 21 2005 By Nicholas Craig, The Journal
The sight of Shanghai as I arrived today is extraordinary. Some of the world's tallest buildings huddle on what is, in effect, a drained swamp. In the last 10 years at least 3,000 high-rise buildings have been built; another 2,000 are on the drawing-boards.
Shanghai's city fathers are getting cold (and perhaps slightly wet) feet about the building boom, as parts of the city are now sinking at a rate of one-and-a-half centimetres a year. It is a dramatic illustration of the rate of change at this huge city with its elegant colonial buildings and beguiling Bund - the tourist centrepiece - up against skyscrapers and western-style shopping centres, business quarters and industrial estates.
Each time I return, the pace of Shanghai is faster, the buzz louder. The city successfully mixes tradition and sophistication, with its eye always on the money to be made. Shanghai spawns superlatives - the world's highest hotel, fastest railway, longest arch bridge are all within one city. The Maglev (magnetic-levitation) train is a new treat - it transfers passengers between the city centre and the airport at speeds of up to 270 miles an hour, rivalling that of the Formula One drivers at Shanghai's new Grand Prix circuit.
I'm going to have a busy few days here before travelling to Beijing. There are a number of companies interested in investing in Britain, and some UK businesses which have set up in Shanghai, all of which I will be visiting.
The ties between Shanghai and North-East England are strong. We were the first UK region to have a permanent representative based in Shanghai. Ting Mae is employed by One NorthEast to link regional companies interested in doing business with Shanghai with appropriate contacts over here. She is a valuable bridge between our region and this city.
Earlier this year I was involved in a visit to the North-East by the Vice- Mayor of Shanghai, a very powerful woman, who wields great political influence.
Such visits can result in significant numbers of new tourists and inward investment from outward-looking Shanghai citizens.
In 20 years, Shanghai has gone from sleepy backwater to super-sophisticated city. Despite the traffic congestion, air pollution and constant noise, it is an enormously exciting place to be. In a city once the domain of dandies, adventurers, gamblers and tycoons, I feel strangely at home! I'll tell you about Beijing's own building boom next week.
