one of the lessons China has learned over the past 30 or more years is to “build roads before wealth.” Infrastructure is vital to its economic development and the country is now well positioned in this sector with mature technologies, abundant experience, a rich pool of engineers and skilled workers, manufacturing capacity for large equipment, and sufficient funds.
The global demand for infrastructure is strong, particularly in developing countries, where public facilities are normally obsolete. The developed world also has a solid need, as its infrastructure is aging and requires repairs, maintenance, and renovation.
McKinsey & Company estimated that the world needs us $57 trillion investment in infrastructure during the 2013-2030 period to accommodate global GdP growth. This means annual expenses in this respect from now till 2025 will amount to us $9 trillion.
It is against this backdrop that China is more actively involving itself in the worlds infrastructure investment and construction and seeing win-win results from such efforts. The traction the Chinese funds have provided is more evident under the circumstances of a capital-tight international market.