Day and Night 4
Computers Computers Computers.
You thought you’d seen many. You haven’t seen the 10th most powerful Supercomputer in the world. Capable of 10 trillion calculations per second, or 10 tetraflops. Some people couldn’t believe that such an advanced machine could even exist in the seemingly backward China.
Welcome to the Real World.
I heard this a few weeks ago.. “remember how people used to say that millions of people in Africa are starving, so eat up every grain of rice on your plate? Its changed. Now, if you don’t finish the rice on your plate, the people in China and India will eat it up.”
The next superpower is, indeed on the rise. Study hard and improve your Chinese. You’ll need it =P
Garbage Incineration Plant. Nothing new to me, having visited Senoko Power Plant a few years back. The main difference is that the Shanghai one is much larger, as Shanghai, with its population of 13 million, obviously generates more rubbish than our little red dot. Another difference is that you get to view the whole garbage incineration process behind thick glass walls at Senoko, however… at Shanghai, its really a ‘4D’ experience [refer to previous post about ‘4D’]
Free Smells anyone?
The quality of the food had steadily been getting better, prior to the lunch we ate on this very day. It reversed the trend, rather violently, and set the quality of the food way back….
Xiangyang part 2. Some other people decided that hey. They didn’t buy enough the last time. So back we went, (I was rather delighted actually. Bargaining is FUN), and one of the aforementioned people who wanted to go back…made the purchase of the trip. A fake watch. For SGD $60.
After buying more things, we departed for Suzhou.
Water actually poured from the sky this once. During the evening. And I had my ONE and ONLY chance to use the umbrella which I had brought many miles.
Day and Night 5
Once upon a time, China asked Singapore to help set up an Industrial Park, with its Premier citing that he was impressed with Singapore’s progress, and asked Singapore, with all its experience, to help them set up an Industrial Park, in Suzhou.
Singapore happily takes it as a fantastic opportunity to expand overseas, and agrees.
Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) is formed.
Singapore sets up the infrastructure. Brings in its people from URA, EDB etc. with the aim of making the park a huge success.
Suzhou Local Government is not pleased, and sets up a rival park, and manages to attract German companies such as Siemens over.
S’pore’s Joint Venture loses $.
In 2000, S’pore, from a Majority Shareholder in the project, becomes a minority shareholder, controlling a mere 25% in the Suzhou Industrial Park
Well. Painful lesson learnt?
Maybe.
Some say, that China becoming the majority share holder was good for the Industrial Park, with thousands of Parks in the motherland, the government would now personally push for the park to become a success. What does S’pore gain?
Hardly anything tangible.
But hey. The intangibles are great!
S’pore gets to boost its reputation internationally, it was, and still is the only Government to Government “joint-venture” in China etc etc etc.
Good choice to go in?
No. Great Choice.
So that’s the history behind the SIP.
Go in there. You’d think you were back in some china-fied version of Singapore.
From the the ‘CBD’, the design of the residential condos, to the Marina Cove Neighbourhood, and the ‘Master Plans’, Singapore’s planning divisions certainly left their indelible mark on the SIP.
This was the last truly educational visit of the whole trip.
