An oceanographer has proposed to dig a canal on the Shandong
Peninsula to connect the Laizhou Gulf to the north with the
Jiaozhou Gulf to the south, according to a Jinan Daily
report on January 12.
The ecological environments of the Laizhou Gulf in the Bohai Sea,
and the Jiaozhou Gulf in the Yellow Sea have steadily worsened over
the last two decades. Pollution increased by 600 percent in 2004
compared to the previous year.
"Saving the offshore environment has become a task that must be
carried out without delay," Wang Shicheng, vice head of the
Shandong Provincial Department of Ocean and Fishery (SPDOF), wrote
in a proposal submitted to the 4th Session of the 9th Shandong
Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC), which opened in Jinan January 14.
The canal should strengthen the water-body exchange capacity
between the two gulfs, which is conducive to eco-environmental
improvement, Wang said.
The proposed 130 km canal, 10 meters at its deepest, will be the
world's second longest after the 195 km Suez Canal in Egypt. Its
construction will also tremendously revitalize the economy in east
China's Shandong Province.
Currently, the voyage distance from Bohai to the Yellow Sea is
2,000 kilometers. With the canal, it will be reduced to just 130
kilometers, and many inland cities such as Jiaozhou, Pingdu and
Gaomi will be turned into ports providing greater promise for
economic development.
The SPDOF convened a symposium in the port city of Qingdao last
August, which was attended by 15 experts from the Institute of
Oceanology with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Ocean
University of China (OUC) and other
institutions. While fully affirming the project's ecological and
economic significance, CAS academician Liu Ruiyu suggested that the
provincial government conduct an investigation and feasibility
study at the earliest date, to provide data that would substantiate
their proposal.
The Yuan (1279-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties had cut a
Jiao-Lai Canal to transport grain to the capital. The low-lying but
smooth terrain along the abandoned riverbed creates favorable
conditions for the construction of a new canal. "In addition, we
can draw from the experiences of other countries, particularly
those responsible for building the Panama and Suez canals. And we
have the technology necessary for controlling any possible soil
salinization," Wang said.
He has proposed that the provincial government provide 3 million
yuan (US$375,000) for further research. Barring any unforeseen
circumstances, the construction of the canal should start within
five years. Construction should take three years before the canal
can be opened to navigation, Wang said. He estimates the entire
project construction to cost 100 billion yuan (US$12.5
billion).
(China.org.cn by Shao Da, January 18, 2006)
