(May 31, 1994) MUST A FINISHED PROJECT FINISH ITS ENVIRONMENT? by Mao Yushi
In the old days, when my uncle, Mao Yishen, designed the Qiantan River bridge, the director of the construction office in Zhejing province told him he would take care of the budget, and that my uncle was to be in charge of personnel. But one point was made clear: if the bridge turned out to be a failure then they both had to take responsibility and jump in the river. Today, however, after many failed and defective projects, people no longer feel personally responsible. It is ridiculous to make a final decision on the extraordinarily large Three Gorges project without an established decision-making process and a practical investment system.