Minister of the Economy Muller: Federal Government gives export guarantee to Siemens for the Three Gorges dam in China. Protests on account of the resettlement of two million people.

China’s largest hydro-electric dam, built with the biggest project loan ever extended by the World Bank, is running at about half capacity and making a hefty loss, executives and bankers said yesterday.

China’s largest hydrodam will lose US$121 million (1 billion yuan) this year, according to its general manager, because it doesn’t have enough customers for its output.

China’s largest hydrodam will lose US$121 million (1 billion yuan) this year, according to its general manager, because it doesn’t have enough customers for its output.

The mainland faces an ecological catastrophe if the authorities continue to ignore environmental protection, an expert warned yesterday.

Workers have begun to install monitoring equipment that will measure the impact of the huge explosion planned for Tuesday aimed at demolishing the last cofferdam built for the construction of the Three Gorges dam.

From Time’s special report A New Generation of Leaders, "…highlighting 25 youthful achievers who have already made important marks in their disparate fields–marks just as likely to be recognized abroad as at home. We consider them to be intriguing, illuminating and sometimes provocative representatives of the talent that is being unleashed by change. These are particularly extraordinary individuals…"

Switzerland–ABB, the global technology and engineering company, has been awarded a contract to deliver advanced high-voltage switchgear for the Three Gorges hydro power station in China. The US$ 112-million contract – the third order ABB has won for this major power infrastructure project – was awarded by the China Yangtze Three Gorges Project Development Corporation. Construction is scheduled to begin in the year 2001 and to be completed in 2004.

SEPA vice-minister Zhu Guangyao said the Chinese government would ‘make very substantial changes to the original development process’ for the Nu River dam project.