Good anecdotes.  It is funny to think of a parking meter company trying to break into China.  The last one, about work gangs sitting around doing nothing reminds me of just about every road construction crew I've ever seen in the U.S.<p>One thing that greatly impresses me is road construction work in Shanghai.  I've seen them rebuild a street, completely rip it up, install new sewage and fiber optics at lightning speed.  This entails coordination of at least 3 different departments of the municipal government.  In contrast, there is a construction project on I-95 through the middle of Jacksonville, Florida that has been ongoing for over 20 years!!