In 2018, a serious engineering accident occurred in the southern province of Attapeu, when the Sam Nai Hydroelectric Power Plant burst and 5 billion cubic meters of flood water engulfed 13 villages in an instant, severely affecting 13,000 people. Behind this catastrophe is a complex backstory. Laos' dream of water conservancy projects can be traced back to their imitation of China's Three Gorges Project. At the beginning, the Lao government tried to build a large reservoir based on China's experience, hoping to promote the country's development in this way. However, for a variety of reasons, Laos ultimately chose to cooperate with South Korea over China. This decision seemed shrewd at the time, but it ultimately led to disastrous consequences.
As the old saying goes: "Eat a trench, grow a wisdom." "But did the Lao government really take into account all the risks and consequences when making this decision? Why, after such a tragedy, did they turn to China again? These are questions worth pondering. The Laos' water project was officially launched in 2011 and they hope to build a Sam Nai hydropower plant in Attapeu province. As soon as this news came out, it immediately attracted global attention, because such a large-scale project is not only lucrative, but also of great significance for future cooperation in international engineering projects. Countries are bidding for the Yangtze River Three Gorges Corporation, and China's Three Gorges Corporation is no exception.
As a leading enterprise in China's water conservancy projects, the strength of the Three Gorges Corporation should not be underestimated. However, to everyone's surprise, Laos chose South Korea's SK Construction over the more powerful Chinese company. The reason behind this is actually quite simple: South Korea's offer is much lower than China's. South Korea's SK took on the project for a low price of $1 billion, and their proposal included a series of strings attached. While these conditions may seem favorable to the Lao government, they actually hold significant risks. The Korean company promised to complete the works within five years and receive the right to distribute the proceeds within 30 years of the completion of the project. However, the quality of the project became a huge concern.
In 2013, the construction of the Sannanne Hydropower Station was officially started. The project includes three dams, five auxiliary dams and associated power generation and water transmission systems. Although the Lao government was also involved in the construction of the project, the main work was carried out by a Korean company. By 2018, the main body of the project was basically completed, but at this moment, an unexpected happened. In July 2018, Laos was hit by severe rainstorms, and a secondary dam at the Samnai Hydroelectric Power Plant cracked and eventually collapsed. The 5 billion cubic meter flood broke the levee in an instant, inundating more than a dozen villages downstream, causing huge loss of life and property. The post-mortem investigation found that the main reason for the dam failure was the quality of the dam's building materials, which led to cracks and settlement under the impact of the flood.
In the face of such a tragedy, the Lao government tried to hold the South Korean company accountable, but the South Korean company had already slipped away and even tried to shift the blame to the natural disaster. In desperation, the Lao government had no choice but to seek help from China. What is touching is that China dispatched a rescue team immediately after the disaster, bringing a large amount of medical equipment and daily necessities, and quickly launched rescue operations. China's rescue efforts were not limited to medical and material supplies, but also sent a team of professionals to repair the damaged dams. Eventually, with the help of Chinese companies, the damaged dam was completely repaired and put back into use. Although this disaster has brought huge losses to Laos, it has also made them feel China's friendship and support again.
This disaster fully demonstrates the serious consequences of blindly pursuing low prices, and also shows us China's demeanor as a great power in international rescue. The tragedy culminated in the Lao government's failure to take into account the quality of the project and the long-term risks when choosing a partner. This story tells us that economic interests are important, but in large-scale projects involving the national economy and people's livelihood, quality and safety are the most fundamental.
China's timely assistance not only demonstrates our technological strength, but also demonstrates our cherishing of international friendship. As the saying goes: "Adversity sees the truth." "China did not hesitate to lend a helping hand when Laos needed it most, and this spirit of responsibility as a major country and internationalism is worth learning and remembering from each and every one of us.