Yu Dynasty Yingdala (4338-4636)

[Wu Han]

The Market: News for 20 May 4293

Major Infrastructure Projects Concluded In Shu


New Beihei-Nandu Expressway

The Xujing-Nandu Expressway, measuring 209.2 kilometers and linking metropolitan, coastal Nandu and the northern rural/agrarian center of Beihei, was put into operation today. Additionally, the Nandu-Hazhou high-speed rail line, the first of it's kind in Indrala, wrapped construction and is expected to open in August.

The new rail-line, constructed in partnership between state-owned Indralarail and conglomerate Xiandai Group will link the two most populous and prosperous cities in Shu together, replacing the existing standard passager-rail line. It is clear that both projects will have a major economic effect on the struggling province's sluggish economy.


The Beihei Nandu Expressway

The Chancellor was in Hazhou for the announcement, where he attributed these projects to his government's legislative accomplishments:

Governance is about decisions. You can go the route of some of our friends across the aisle and maintain a sort-of laissez-faire, don't-care attitude to the economic woes of our fellow countrymen, or you can do something about it. With our bills to nationalize portions of the transport infrastructure of this country, we were able to roll up our sleeves and address the issues out here in Shu. We utilized our long-bloated infrastructure budget to construct the nation's first high-speed rail link; one of many to come, I assure you. Indralans know that when it comes to moving our country forward, there is only one option: The Lotus Party.

The politically-charged speech garnered some criticism, as the next election isn't predicted until 4295.


The Nandu-Hazhou rail-line under construction last fall

Op-ed: "The Dalibor Crisis Needs to End... For the Economy!"



By Luo Chin, Associate-Economics Professor at Indrala University

The Chancellor has been rather tepid with his response to the Dalibor civil-war. Sure, he held a big display of force in the North a couple of years ago, but what has come of it? Only more death and destruction. As to be expected, the World Congress will surely take a couple more years to eventually come to a framework of an agreement, but what by then? By the time boots hit the ground, will there even be war on the island?

Here's what we know has happened, however, which should be considered an act of war against the Indralan State: Prime Minister Jung has deployed sea-mines between Dalibor and Hanzen.

While this was officially an effort to slow the flow of refugees to Hanzen (why, when Indrala has maintained an open-door policy for the past five years, refugees would choose to go to Hanzen beats me) it has had an impact on the Indralan economy. As our economy relies heavily on trade with Dovani, this move directly impacts import-export volume with Indrala. Though traders have, for the past while, been circumventing the Dalibor-Hanzen waters, this is costly and has caused many international producers to slow the flow of products to Indrala. Indeed, domestic manufacturers have has issues getting their items to market with the increased shipping costs, as well.

There is also a humanitarian aspect to the economic argument. We all know that the only proven way to truly help developing-nations escape the clutches of poverty is through free, unhindered trade. To that end, the victims of the Dalibor conflict should not be restricted to the refugees, bravely fleeing over mine-laden waters, but all the farmers and artisans and factory workers of Dovani who have their livelihoods, and that of their famillies, threatened by this conflict.

The Chancellor needs to step up and end this conflict so that we can let the tiger-spirit of Indrala's economy spread peace and stability throughout the world.

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Originally posted by Wu Han on 26 October 2017