Why should the amalgamation cost anything? Usually the impetus to amalgamate cities is to save money. If it will cost 42 trillion RMB then it’s a bad idea. But if they are planning to spend 42 trillion yuan to upgrade infrastructure after this amalgamation, then it’s kind of BS to say that they are spending 42 trillion yuan to make it happen.

Anyways, with a price tag like that, he will be able to stuff the pockets of every person he ever met and their extended family. I would not support this until seeing evidence that effective accounting and management procedures were in place. But then again, I don’t think the CCP was ever all that intereseted in applying foreign criteria to question policy directions from the president. It is unfortunate that China so easily welcomes foreign contributions in the form of management expertise in the private sector (yes, both ways, but absolutely there is a very high demand for foreign managers to work in China) but is so rigid when it comes to high level formal exchanges which could contribute perspective in the realm of policy.