Behind fast growing GDP in communist China

Shanghai News:

On 28th Dec 2009, a column of the newly re-constructed Shuzhou River Bridge in Shanghai split apart.
The secret content of the building material was exposed: rubbish bags, foam and other waste ….but the Shanghai construction traffic authority announced that there was no structural danger to the safety of the bridge.

What's hidden in the pier of the Shuzhou Bridge?! (screenshot)
After 1 year of reconstruction, the bridge was widened from 4 lanes to 6 lanes, and it was reopened in January 2009.

Shanghainese are fasinated with the exposed contents of the bridge pier. (screenshot)

The pier of the Shuzhou River bridge. (screenshot)
Chinese news available: http://www.secretchina.com/news/327310.html

Guangdong News:

On 29th Dec 2009, a parking lot in an ‘upscale’ community district of Wenzhou county Guangdong province subsided with parked cars sinking 5 meters, and the underground supports of the building exposed.
The area was closed the next day and reporters from some Chinese media managed to get information from residents, the collapsed area also revealed that the cement work of the underground parking area was not completed; the garden area of the district was filled up with construction debris, and had not been compressed according to building legislation.

(screenshot)
The building beside the parking area is leaning to the west. There are about 500 residents from 93 families living in the building. Some of them dare not stay in the building anymore, but some stay because there has been no government warnings or safety advice.
Chinese news available: http://www.jfdaily.com/a/783404.htm

Wuhan News:

On 30th Dec 2009, an experienced quality inspector, Mr Jia Mansheng, revealed problems with the newly built Tianxingzhou bridge in Wuhan city, which cost 2350 million Chinese yuan to built, and was set to open on 26th December.

A quarter of the nuts and bolts that connect the iron plates of the bridge surface are not tightened, and can be easily undone with the fingers. Even more intrigueing is that there are no bolts in some holes, the nuts have been welded directly onto the iron plates to cover up the defect.

Mr Jia showing the nuts he took out by hand from the bridge. (screenshot)
According to Chuxing website, Mr Jia is a retired inspector and he had tried to discusshis findings with the construction company on four occasions, but was completely ignored. Mr Jia showed Chinese media a total of 432 nuts and bolts, 17 not secured, 33 welded; 50 nuts are higher then the bridge surface; about a quarter are not acceptable.
Mr Jia is very worried about the safety of the bridge. A professor of Civil Engineering from Huazhong University, Jing Wenchen,  also inspected the bridge and suggested that the work should be re-done immediately.

Inspecting the bridge. (screenshot)
Chinese news available: http://www.secretchina.com/news/327471.html