Wu- Baha Mar 'part of our growth'

Thu, Oct 13th 2011, 01:18 PM

Tiger Wu doesn't mince words. As the Vice President of China Construction America Inc- a subsidiary of the largest construction company in China- his focus can be easily summarized: Dec. 31, 2014.

That's the day Baha Mar, the$2.6 billion colossal project in Nassau, is slated to open its doors.

But there is far more at stake than the promise of thousands of luxury hotel rooms, the 1,000 square-foot casino or the sprawling list of features and attractions. For China, Baha Mar-financed by the Export-Import Bank of China and built by state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corporation-represents perhaps its most significant collaborative venture into the Western hemisphere.

If all goes well, the launch of Baha Mar could more accurately open the doors to the world.

"This project is essential to developing business in the Caribbean and into the U.S.,"Wu toldGuardian Business."It's only the beginning. This is part of our growth. We hope with successful completion, it will open up more opportunities in the area."

Indeed, as the face of the company in The Bahamas, a great political and economic responsibility rests with the Chinese executive's shoulders.

In a way, the revolution has already begun.

China Construction America has quietly won a series of major public works projects in the U.S., including the$91 million Metro-North Railroad station at Yankee Stadium, work on a ventilation system in Manhattan and, according to Wu, most recently a$10 million road works project in New York.

However, few projects, if any, rival the scale and glamor associated with Baha Mar.

The resort boasts world-class brands, including Rosewood, Mondrian and Grand Hyatt. It will also feature a John Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, a conventional hall, wildlife reserve, 3,000-square-feet of beachfront and a casino hotel.

Meanwhile, in the boardroom, The Bahamas and China have forged a strong and growing economic alliance. Last month, Vice Premier Wang Qishan, on his way to the Third China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, signed another technical assistance agreement with The Bahamas, bringing the total up to$30 million.

The Airport Gateway Project and the National Stadium are two other major projects in Nassau being spearheaded by the Chinese.

"There has been a quiet and long-standing relationship with China,"said Robert Sands, Senior Vice president of Administrative and External Affairs at Baha Mar."Do not underestimate it. They have been here a long time-silent but effective."

Working closely with their quiet Chinese counterparts, Bahamians expect to be the beneficiaries of the rising economic giant through the creation of jobs, a new market for tourism and other major investment opportunities down the road.

Baha Mar, and The Bahamas at large, is"East meets West"in the truest sense of the word, Sands said, and a testing ground which shows the world that great things can be accomplished between two very different places.

Wu, for his part, said he is very conscious of the need to change certain stigmas or perceptions of China as it seeks its place near the top of the global order.

He called the relationship between China and The Bahamas"fascinating".  "Here we are, working together, and we have very different cultures,"he said."In the end, we find things in common."

In the future, Wu envisions a variety of new projects in The Bahamas, the Caribbean and in North America.  He pointed out the expansion of the Baha Mar brand could be a distinct possibility.

But first things first-soon, more than 10,000 containers of building supplies will begin their two-month voyage from China. Other materials will be coming from the U.S.

And on the other end, more than 8,000 Chinese workers will be filing in and out during the project and housed in a man camp, with construction reaching a feverish pitch around nine months from now.

Many local business are involved and thousands of Bahamians are also finding employment through the construction.

Working hand in hand, this original odd couple might be building more than a resort.  "Who knows what happens after this,"Sands said.

"The synergy here goes beyond construction and financing. It's the beginning of a continuum."

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