'Donald Trump of China' to demolish 700 mountains to build city

If Yan Jiehe wants to seal his reputation as China's Donald Trump, flattening 700 mountains to make way for a man-made metropolis sounds like the perfect strategy. Yan, whose road to Trumpdom includes the 2006 title of China's second-richest man, has already begun the massive, government-sanctioned job in Lanzhou. His firm, China Pacific Construction Group, plans to transform the impoverished desert area into a sparkly new city. The 500-square-mile project is expected to boost the region's GDP by $43 billion. Not a bad return on the $3.5 billion it will cost to move the mountains. Environmental issues? Bah! The WHO already says Lanzhou has the worst air pollution in China. How much worse could blowing up 700 mountains make it? [Source]

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