The Pakistan-China Friendship Center in Islamabad built by the Shanghai Construction Group (COURTESY OF SCG)

A landmark to commemorate diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, the Pakistan-China Friendship Center in Pakistan's capital Islamabad is a symbol of 60 years of friendship. The center was opened on December 18 last year with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his Pakistan counterpart Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani attending the opening ceremony. The two leaders planted a tree to mark the camaraderie between the two nations.

Covering 52,642 square meters, the Pakistan-China Friendship Center will serve as a conference and exhibition center and will also feature performances. It was built with the Chinese Government's aid by general contractor Shanghai Construction Group (SCG).

When visiting Pakistan in 2005, Wen confirmed the project and laid the foundation himself. The project started on November 26, 2008, and was completed in September 2010.

The Chinese premier spoke highly of the SCG for its role in making the center a reality, while the Pakistani prime minister also thanked SCG staff for their efforts in creating a building with such exquisite architecture. The Pakistani Government also presented SCG with a medal, thanking the group for its contribution to the two nations' friendship.

Islamabad is a beautiful garden city, but it also faces tough security problems. In spite of a number of terrorist attacks, the SCG staff spent nearly two years on assistance projects in Pakistan, creating a positive image for Chinese enterprises. Due to these achievements, the friendship center project was awarded to the SCG.

The Gwadar Port that is being built by the Shanghai Construction Group (XINHUA)

The SCG staff in Pakistan is a relatively young one—16 of the project's 19 managers are younger than 35. The team faced many difficulties during construction. In September 2008, a car bomb explosion damaged the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, killing hundreds. In April 2009, an explosion barely a kilometer from the construction site killed six policemen. Dangers were everywhere.

The project team adopted anti-terrorist response measures to cope with the security issues. It established an anti-terrorist work group to carry out training, make pre-arranged planning, and rehearse for unexpected events. It also established a specialized precaution system for the construction spot. It installed 24-hour monitors, barbed wire fences, and spotlights to enhance visibility. The project team also dug a moat around the site, and installed crush-proof bars to prevent car bombers from driving vehicles into the construction place.

The SCG strengthened security guarantees during the project construction with local police help in identification when hiring local people. It also tried to complete the project ahead of schedule to guarantee the employees' safety. These measures helped to realize a target of zero casualties and zero security accidents during the project construction.

Safety issues in Islamabad forced the project team to adhere to a special timetable. Much of the construction was done at night as large trucks transporting materials weren't allowed to enter the capital before midnight.

Since the center has a modern steel truss design, it required advanced welding techniques of SCG's employees. Welders in the project, including several of the managers, often worked in heat of up to 40 degrees Celsius.

For the young team, the project represented corporate development responsibility. A sense of accomplishing a special mission allowed the team to work quickly and complete the project ahead of schedule.

CROSS-BORDER ROAD: The Khunjerab Pass on the China-Pakistan border and the cross-border road between the two countries. The Shanghai Construction Group participated in construction of the road, also known as the Karakoram Highway, which runs from Sust in Pakistan to Piarali in China (CFP)

Shanghai Construction Group

Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) is one of the leading enterprises in China's building industry. The SCG has completed a large number of major projects. Landmark buildings it has had a hand in include the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center, Guangzhou TV Tower, and the 32-km-long East China Sea Bridge, China's first trans-ocean bridge. Other projects include the Shanghai maglev train, Pudong International Airport, and the 2010 World Expo China Pavilion. The SCG is currently in charge of the construction of the 632-meter-tall, 120-floor Shanghai Center Tower, which will be the second tallest building in the world.

The SCG conducts business in more than 40 overseas countries and regions. It has created a solid reputation abroad and has been ranked 27th of the Top 225 International Contractors by the U.S. magazine Engineering News Records.

The SCG consists of more than 160 wholly owned and holding subsidiary enterprises. It has realized all-round development in business, including construction contracting, real-estate development, and investment and management of public utilities. The SCG has created a series of technologies for high-rise building construction, large-scale bridge construction, underground tunneling work, concrete making and multifunctional concrete components prefabrication, many of which are the best in the world.

The SCG has always been an active participant in construction in Pakistan, and has constructed many projects there in recent years, such as the Karakoram Highway project and the Gwadar Port project.