An argument between competing construction crews has led to an epic bulldozer battle in Northern China, as recorded on video.
On April 16, the brawl between the construction workers in Hebei province escalated into the bulldozer fight, which was something straight out of a Transformers movie: Bulldozer 1 ramming into Bulldozer 2 and knocking it over, and then Bulldozer 3 joining the fight and attempting to pick up the fallen.
The battle, which fortunately resulted in no injuries, was documented in a YouTube video now spreading online. Part of the footage shows one driver running unhurt out of his flipped-over bulldozer, with passenger cars also speeding away from the thick cloud of dust.
Xu Feng, local government spokesperson for Xingtang county in the province, says the involved parties were from two construction firms competing for business. No further details were provided about any harms or arrests done as an investigation is still underway.
China’s construction industry is facing tough times, its growth rate dipping by two-thirds from its peak 10 years ago. Real estate takes up nearly a quarter of the country’s economy – far higher than those in other major nations – and its weakening is negatively affecting other sectors such as cement, steel and glass, leading to a number of layoffs.
Thus, competing construction firms are struggling to win remaining contracts.
These trends reflect the recent slowdown of China’s economic growth, which enjoyed prosperous beginnings in the 1980s from its cheap exports and investments in its own economy through areas like infrastructure.
“The problem with China’s balance is that you run out of things to invest in,” Chinese economy expert Damien Ma tells Vox, pointing to saturation in the entire sector producing roads and bridges, and the ensuing reduced viability of investing there.
The right move, according to some experts, is for China to move resources away from industries like construction and toward revitalized domestic consumption, where its people buy goods and services.
