Why China can build so quickly and America can’t

The world’s tallest bridge, China’s Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, underwent the final stage of its static load test on August 25, with 96 test trucks loading onto the bridge. | Qu Honglun/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images America has a hard time building stuff. Roads. Trains. Light rail. Bridges. Housing. Everything takes seemingly forever, if it even happens at all.  Meanwhile, there’s China. A country that builds much faster — high-speed trains, solar panels, electric cars, bridges, ports, drones — all churned out at breakneck speed. Why can China do this, and why does it see