In Part 1, I described my work with the World Bank Institute (WBI) from 1983 to 1990, organizing seminars and teaching senior transport officials. Part 2 covers my time with the Bank’s China Department, from 1991 to 1994.
I joined the transport division at a time when I hadn’t worked on operations for several years. My prior experience with Chinese officials during my WBI work gave me the confidence to reengage in operational roles, which included economic and sector work, launching a project from preparation to supervision, and identifying new highway projects.
Meeting with the Finance Vice-Minister
This was the highest-level meeting I had with a borrower country. It was part of the Bank-China three-year programming process. Transport, the largest lending activity in China, was the only sector represented at the professional level. The Chinese Vice-Minister spent significant time discussing the government’s support for the Yangtze River’s Three Gorges Dam, then under construction. The Bank had declined to finance it due to environmental and other concerns. The Vice-Minister answered all our questions in great detail, clearly demonstrating his expertise.
Highway Strategy
With contributions from the Bank’s China transport group and other staff and reviewers, I prepared a highway strategy paper that became the foundation for future highway lending to China. The paper recommended for the Bank to continue giving priority to the development of China’s national interprovincial expressway system and also support the development of provincial road networks.
Henan Highway Project
Henan, China’s second most populous and a poor, landlocked province with 85 million people at the time, was the focus of the project. The province’s 2024 population reached 95 million, with a per capita income of $9,100.
The main component was constructing a 120-kilometer expressway between Zhengzhou (Henan’s capital) and Luoyang. East of Zhengzhou, this road connected to Kaifeng via another expressway under construction with local funding. Kaifeng, a former Northern Song Dynasty capital, had a unique history, including a small Jewish population that adopted Chinese surnames.
The project also included improving rural roads in poverty areas (30% of China’s villages lacked access to all-weather roads), strengthening the province’s highway management capacity, and recommending improvements to the province’s trucking organization.
The Bank’s project team included, notably, highway engineer Hatim, and specialists in resettlement, environment, legal issues, transport, and safety. Resettlement was particularly complex, especially in compensating those living in nontraditional residences, such as caves.
A 2000 Bank implementation completion report found that the project’s objectives had been achieved. Institutional development results were rated highly satisfactory due to extensive domestic and international training and practical implementation of trucking study recommendations. The expressway design was upgraded during implementation from single to double carriageway due to traffic volumes far exceeding projections, as China’s GDP growth soared from 4% in 1990 to 14% in 1992–93.
Identifying New Highway Projects
In the early 1990s, replacing the congested two-lane highway linking Guangdong to Beijing was a top transport priority. Along with consultant Jean-Marie, we visited the endpoints and intermediate provinces: Hunan, Hubei, Henan, and Hebei. Over ten years, based on our findings, the Bank approved three national expressway projects, starting with the first in 1996 and ending with the third closing in 2006. By then, the full Beijing-Guangdong expressway was operational.
About My Chinese Counterpart
Mr. Liu, a senior official in Henan’s Highway Agency, led the project. He was affable and efficient. He had studied at the prestigious Xi’an Highways Institute, where I had once lectured. Because of that, he introduced me as “Mr. Levy, my teacher.” Given the high regard the Chinese have for teachers, I was honored. A lighthearted benefit was that Mr. Liu would, upon a signal from me, toast on my behalf at dinners, sparing me from excessive drinking.
Mr. Liu also had demanding responsibilities within the agency. The province’s Vice-Governor, aware of the Bank’s emphasis on road maintenance, told Mr. Liu during a dinner that he would lose his job if the road network’s quality declined.
On a weekend, I suggested a ping-pong tournament between our World Bank team and his team. The Sunday event was elaborately decorated with prizes. Predictably, we were thoroughly defeated, especially me. My final match was against their best player. I managed to win a few points only thanks to his kindness. My excuse, half-jokingly, was that Chinese paddles had only one active side, suitable for their pen-hold grip, unlike our team’s grip style.
These experiences helped deepen my appreciation for China, its culture, and the professionalism of those I worked with.
Disclaimer
Member’s blog posts reflect the views of the author(s), drawing on prior research or personal experience. Freedom of expression is an essential part of the 1818 Society’s culture. The 1818 Society® is a nonpartisan, independent organization and does not take institutional positions. Members are welcome to add their comments in the box below.
KEYWORDS China, counterpart, Henan, highways, maintenance
