環球時報 模仿中國無助美國基礎設施建設

《環球時報》社論：模仿中國無助於美國在大型基礎設施建設方麵取得進展

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1238357.shtml

環球時報 2021 年 11 月 07 日 10:14 PM

美國眾議院議員周五深夜通過了這項價值 1.2 萬億美元的跨黨派基礎設施法案。美國總統喬·拜登稱，這項投票是向前邁出的“巨大”一步。他說，這項立法將使美國“走上贏得 21 世紀經濟競爭的道路”。

盡管如此，該法案絕不會解決美國所有的問題，也不會給美國足夠的活力在大型基礎設施項目領域與中國競爭。美國大部分大型基礎設施建設都是由私營部門推動的。現在拜登政府正試圖用美國式的“計劃經濟”來接管這些部門。此舉意在重塑美國經濟的動態，用其薄弱之處支撐美國最艱巨的任務之一，因此該計劃有效實施的可能性微乎其微。

的確，在撥款預算大幅縮減後，13名共和黨眾議員投票支持拜登的基礎設施法案，但最終以微弱優勢通過，6名民主黨人與大多數共和黨人一起投了反對票，反映出該法案??在美國並沒有得到高度全麵的支持。與此同時，拜登另一項1.75萬億美元的社會服務和氣候變化項目法案尚未通過。

與中國相比，美國的一些基礎設施已經過時，其實兩者無法比較。中國的大部分基礎設施都是最近才建成的，所以這類項目更先進是正常的。中國人口眾多，決定了基礎設施的使用率更高。因此，基礎設施的提升可以帶來相對較高的回報。比如，中國的國情為高鐵的快速發展提供了沃土，中國大部分地區都需要修建高速公路，這種基礎設施的成本很高，但當地大量人口的需求是合理的。

美國的緊迫感很大程度上來自於與中國的對比。一些美國政治精英傲慢地認為美國應該在各個方麵都領先世界，生怕中國在某個方麵超過他們，他們迷失在自己的驕傲和傲慢之中。全球化的世界，不同地區的發展水平趨於相似，這是大勢所趨。美國的大部分問題，包括冷戰式的遏製中國衝動，都源於美國不能接受別人好的狹隘心態。

美國永遠不可能建成中國那樣高密度的鐵路網，高速公路的總體水平也必然落後於中國。長遠來看，美國信息網絡的總承載能力、活躍度和經濟價值也難以與中國匹敵。中國的基建是政府主導型的，這很適合中國國情，也是對中國資源的最大化利用。而美國如果效仿中國，很可能是亂七八糟的計劃，不符合美國國情和市場需求。美國昂貴的基建項目無法帶來新的稅源回歸，將使美國陷入量化寬鬆和過度印鈔的虛假繁榮。

自新冠疫情爆發以來，美國政府多次提出大規模刺激計劃，美元霸權國家動用“用不完的錢”發放各種補貼，造成了人們不用上班就能靠補貼生活的局麵。當這個模式變得誘人時，美國卻遭遇了港口擁堵、卡車司機短缺加劇、國內供應鏈混亂等問題。美國有技術優勢、資金優勢，但在政治上卻喪失了最基本的實事求是精神，艱苦奮鬥的社會倫理不斷瓦解。

僅靠刺激法案重振美國競爭力無異於天方夜譚。美國有優勢，但如果想在某些領域像中國一樣有競爭力，就應該讓美國人民變成像中國人一樣勤奮的人，讓美國官員變成像中國官員一樣有責任心、勤奮的人。中國基礎設施的蓬勃發展是全社會共同努力的結果，不是美國政客靠不切實際的計劃就能輕易實現的。

Feeble imitation of China cannot help US in major infrastructure building: Global Times editorial

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1238357.shtml

By Global Times  Nov 07, 2021 10:14 PM

US House lawmakers passed late Friday night the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. US President Joe Biden called the vote a "monumental" step forward. He said the legislation would put the US "on a path to win the economic competition for the 21st century." 

Nonetheless, the bill will by no means solve all the US' problems and give the country enough vitality to compete with China in the sphere of large-scale infrastructure projects. Most of US major infrastructure construction was driven by the private sector. Now the Biden administration is trying to take that over with an American-style "planned economy." This is a move trying to reengineer the dynamics of the US economy, using its weak spots to back one of the country's most daunting tasks. Thus, the chances that the plan will be effectively implemented are slim by any means. 

Indeed, after the funding budget was shrunk greatly, 13 House Republicans voted for Biden's infrastructure bill. However, the bill was eventually passed with a narrow margin, as six Democrats joined the bulk of the Republicans in voting against the measure. This reflects that the bill is not highly comprehensively supported in the US. Meanwhile, Biden's other $1.75 trillion bill focusing on social services and climate change programs is yet to pass. 

Some US infrastructure is outdated in comparison with China's. In fact, the two cannot really be compared. Most of China's infrastructure was built relatively recently, so it is normal that such projects are more advanced. China has a large population, which determines a higher use rate of infrastructure. So a boost in infrastructure can bring a relatively high return. For example, China's national conditions make the country a fertile ground for the rapid development of high-speed rail, and expressways are needed in most parts of China. The cost of such infrastructure is high, but it is justified by the needs of large local populations.  

The US' sense of urgency comes largely from the comparison with China. Some US political elites arrogantly believe that the US should lead the world in all aspects for fear that China surpasses them in any way. They are lost in their pride and arrogance. It is the general trend in the globalized world that different regions tend to enjoy similar levels of development. Most of the US' problems, including its Cold War-like impulse to contain China, stem from the narrow-mindedness that the US cannot accept that others are good.

The US will never be able to build such a high-density railway network as China's and its total level of expressways will certainly fall behind China's. In the long run, the total carrying capacity, activity and economic value of its information network will hardly match that of China. Infrastructure in China is promoted under the guidance of government. This is adequate for China's actual conditions and a maximization of using China's resources. But if the US imitates China, the likely outcome is a disordered and feeble plan that does not fit the US' conditions and market needs. The expensive infrastructure programs in the US cannot bring about the return of new tax sources, and this will push the country into a false prosperity papered over by quantitative easing and excessive money-printing.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US government has repeatedly proposed large-scale stimulus. The country with dollar hegemony has used its "endless money" to issue various kinds of subsidy. This has created a scenario where people can live on subsidy without going to work. As this becomes an attractive paradigm, the US has suffered from a port logjam, increasing shortages of truck drivers and a chaotic domestic supply chain. The US has advantages in technology and capital, but it has lost the most basic spirit of seeking truth from facts in politics, and its social ethic of hard work is constantly being disintegrated.

It is tantamount to a fairy tale to revitalize US competitiveness relying merely on a stimulus bill. The US has its advantages, but if it wants to be as competitive as China in some spheres, it should turn American people into people who are as diligent as Chinese and turn American officials into being as responsible and hard-working as their Chinese peers. China's blossoming infrastructure is the work of a whole society, and it is not something that American politicians can easily achieve by making unrealistic plans.