Li Shirong – IBP Speech 2009
The newly elected (the night before) President of the CIOB joined over 70 IBP Members and guests for the IBP Summer Dinner at the RAC Club, to discuss the open policy in China for major projects for the future and whether the world financial crisis had effected the development of business partnerships with UK companies and what is the future for our sector and when is it expected to kick-in again in China’s development?
In introducing Shirong, Michael Brown, Deputy Chief Executive of the CIOB, praised her work with the Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Commission and her academic role at Chongqing University as part-time professor of construction management, with more than 170 published academic papers and 26 books to her credit.
Michael went on to draw the diners attention to the 175 Anniversary celebrations for the CIOB illustrating the role of the Institute’s with a list of major infrastructure projects stretching back to early Victorian times. He said that it was significant and appropriate that this year’s CIOB President was the first women to hold the office and from a major emerging market leader.
Li Shirong
This is my first public speech as President of the CIOB. So to make it in front of a room full of journalists, editors and communication experts is …..exciting.
As Michael mentioned 2009 is the CIOB’s 175th Anniversary, but it is also our 20th Anniversary working in China. The CIOB was one of the first professional bodies in the world to work in my home country; and much has changed in those 20 years.
China’s economic development has seen a building boom on a scale unheard of in modern history.
But this growth has also bought many challenges.
We are aware of our responsibility for the environment, and how we use our natural resources.
It would be fair to say that China is still a developing country, although some regions are highly developed. China is increasingly playing its part within the international community. There is still much to do at home. Poverty is being driven out through urbanisation and, increasingly through rural development.
Looked at in the right way this can bring many benefits…….. For example we can build-in current technology at an earlier stage of our infrastructure. Indeed we are a real life test-bed for many of the world’s emerging technologies.
However urbanisation and development bring many challenges. Urban communities as we know them are energy hungry.
They bring pollution and we have suffered, and are suffering, the effect of rapid growth in an industrial age and its impact on the natural environment.
Relieving poverty has come with a cost.
However, as the world seeks new ways of conserving energy use, China is able to invest in previously untried green innovations and ideas. These can be more difficult for the west to implement.’