Taiwan Strait Tunnel Project
Proposed road and rail tunnel From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Taiwan Strait Tunnel Project is a proposed undersea tunnel to connect Pingtan in Mainland China to Hsinchu in Taiwan as part of the G3 Beijing–Taipei Expressway. It has seen a few academic studies from the China side, but no interest from the Taiwan side, which views such proposals as propaganda.[1] In addition to political factors, the project is generally not considered realistic due to technical and cost concerns.[2]
Proposals
First proposed in 1996,[2] the project has since been subject to a number of academic discussions, including by the China Railway Engineering Society.[3] The route between Pingtan and Hsinchu has been proposed because of its short distance and its relative geological stability (in a region frequented by earthquakes).[4] In 2005, an academic from the Chinese Academy of Engineering stated that the project was one of five major undersea tunnel projects under consideration for the next twenty to thirty years.[5]
Reception in Taiwan
The project is not considered viable due to the staggering costs, unsolved technical problems, and foremost a lack of interest from the Taiwanese.[1] At nearly 150 metres (0.093 mi) m undersea, the proposed tunnel would be 6.4 times longer than the existing Seikan Tunnel (23.3 km or 14.5 mi), nearly 4 times longer than the Channel Tunnel (37.9 km or 23.5 mi) (the current longest underwater tunnel segment),[2][5] and two-thirds longer than the proposed Bohai Strait tunnel project 90 kilometres (56 mi). In addition, Taiwan is much concerned about the tunnel's potential use by China in military actions.[1] Nonetheless, in July 2013, the Chinese State Council approved plans for the project.[6]
As the relation between Taiwan and China worsens, the proposal has been mocked in Taiwan, along with the Beijing–Taipei high-speed rail corridor.[7]
See also
References
External links
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