I think some credit has to be given to the Chinese for innovating in this area as well; it's not just safety/quality corner-cutting, though there might be some of that. The article notes the much longer time it took Dubai to build its similarly sized building, and Dubai is not exactly known for worker-friendly labor laws or European/American levels of workplace-safety regulations.
The difference in the quality of the Chinese quick-buildings (i.e., "quildings") and the Dubai buildings is the difference between a Ford Pinto and a Lamborghini.
The Chinese quildings are cheap because they lack any sort of extravagance. In contrast, the Chinese structures which do feature prominant decorative features (i.e., the Bird's Nest or CSTV HQ), took almost as long to build as they would have anywhere else.
The Dubai buildings take a long time because they are built to exacting standards using the most opulent, expensive materials the Royal Family can buy. Everything is done to spec, and it shows.
>>difference between a Ford Pinto and a Lamborghini.
The toyota's started as a cheap but low low quality car , then they became a high quality car, with a good price.
Who's to say it won't happen here ?
And in any case , i read that the Chinese buildings are very cheap to build. For many people that's much more important(as long s reliability and functionality is maintened) in an apartment.
From the Western perspective, Chinese regulations and processes have a long way to go. When was the last time a brand new building in the US or Europe simply collapsed before topping out? In China it was 2009:
