China to build canal to rival Panama Canal

[networkman]

Nicaragua's Congress granted a 50-year concession to a little-known Chinese businessman to develop a new waterway that will rival the Panama Canal. The FT's Kathrin Hille sits down with Wang Jing, founder and chief executive of HKND, to talk about his plans and whether his US$40bn project is a front for the Chinese government's ambitions to extend its influence in the US's backyard.

http://video.ft.com/2514556782001/China-to-build-a-rival-to-Panama-Canal/World

 

[EagleKeeper]

Of course it is a way for China to get a foot in the back door.

What better place for them to invest?

 

[lozina]

It's a front for a secret giant nuclear missile base

 

[Svnla]

I read about this story a while back.

Look like they will use the Rio San Juan river to go to Lake Nicaragua and from there, dig a canal (about 10 to 15 miles) to reach the Pacific Ocean.

Costa Rica will not like it because they share the same river.

 

[Fern]

We don't own the canal any more. Carter gave it away.

What is the point of duplicating the Panama canal?

Is it too crowded now? Are they price gouging?

Fern

 

[K1052]

We don't own the canal any more. Carter gave it away.

What is the point of duplicating the Panama canal?

Is it too crowded now? Are they price gouging?

Fern

The existing canal was loosing trade to larger post panamax ships going around South America for quite a while. They are building a new set of locks that will take today's larger ships, supposed to be operational in 2015.

I suspect the Chinese plan will never come to fruition and is mostly a vanity play on the hopes of Nicaragua.

 

[bshole]

The existing canal was loosing trade to larger post panamax ships going around South America for quite a while. They are building a new set of locks that will take today's larger ships, supposed to be operational in 2015.

I suspect the Chinese plan will never come to fruition and is mostly a vanity play on the hopes of Nicaragua.

The enhancements to the Panama canal will not allow for the absolute largest ships. Perhaps the Chinese canal could serve these larger carriers.

However, even after opening the new, much larger locks, there will be ships that will not be able to pass through the Panama canal. These include Maersk E-class and future Maersk Triple E class container ships, TI class supertankers, and Valemax ore carriers, all of which are too wide for the new locks. Furthermore, while the world's largest cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, will fit within the new locks, they will not be able to pass under the Bridge of the Americas even at low tide.

 

[Franz316]

China is spreading its testicles all over the world(much like the US did in the 20th century). They are investing heavily in South America and Africa. They are also trying to get in on the Arctic oil action and tar sands in Canada. This canal plan yet another.

I doubt it will get built but it does make their intentions clear. Seeing how they run their own country, I don't think they care about the ecological carnage they leave behind in other countries either.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Widen existing locks to allow larger boats; some are still not available to pass through.

New canal for newer boats that already exist and are planned in the future.

It takes 10-15 years to build and there were limits on how much the existing system coiuld be expanded.

 

[K1052]

The enhancements to the Panama canal will not allow for the absolute largest ships. Perhaps the Chinese canal could serve these larger carriers.

Further expansion of US port facilities to accommodate larger than new-panamax ships would be prohibitively expensive in the time frame suggested. Also, most of those ships won't be used on China-US routes.