~ Linn Maung ~
China is facing the growing problem of ‘Tofu-dreg’ projects which are buildings made with poor quality materials and shoddy workmanship, often associated with corruption and negligence. This has led to the deaths of thousands of innocent people even as millions remain vulnerable. Notably, the threat is not limited to China only. Foreign countries such as Thailand, Pakistan, Ecuador, and Kenya suffered from ‘Tofu-dreg’ projects which were constructed by Chinese companies.
Tofu-dreg projects are often associated with corruption by the officials of the China Communist Party (CCP) and the affiliated companies. As many as 11 officials including Su Zhixian, the Mianyang Normal University Communist Party secretary, were arrested for money embezzlement in rehabilitating work after the Wenchuan quake in Sichuan province. Shockingly, those buildings that collapsed in the earthquake were tofu-dregs construction and the newly built too were the same, of poor quality.
The newly built homes developed cracks vertically and horizontally in every room. People called them tofu dregs as they were convinced about the use of substandard material and massive corruption.
“Some local officials took the chance to feather their own nests,” said one angry resident. Macau Legislator Che Sai Wang raised the issue of shoddy construction work, demanding the prevention of public works with quality that of tofu. “As several public works are being carried out everywhere in Macau, the quality of them is regrettable. This is an old issue that has been the focus of society’s attention,” he said.
Eve Cary, an expert on Chinese affairs, highlighted several cases of ‘Tofu-deng’ projects that were the outcome of connections with the CCP officials and contractors. “Corruption and graft have created a significant problem with many Chinese construction projects. Corruption and graft undoubtedly play a role when project money is skimmed off the top for and by officials, leaving less funding for quality materials, qualified staff, and acceptable workmanship,” she said. “Additionally, projects are often granted to companies that have more political ties than qualifications.”
In recent years, several newly built buildings and infrastructure projects collapsed as they were tofu-dreg constructions. Big bridges, high-speed railways, highways and buildings have fallen victim to tofu-dreg constructions in China. In one such incident, villagers of Yanghou in Minhou County exposed how the newly built bridge was broken as cracks were developed, and steel bars came out. The condition of the bridge continued to deteriorate even after repairs.
Several videos and photos depicting poor construction work, and collapsing infrastructure are shared by Chinese citizens on social media platforms, wherein they implicitly blamed the CCP government for corruption.
“There is evidence that certain Chinese construction projects involve elements of corruption. Developers and contractors have been known to cut corners in construction costs, such as reducing wall insulation or substituting high-quality finishers for inferior ones and pocketing the difference, said Architect Lisa Awazu Wellman.
Tofu dreg has become a famous term in other countries thanks to the Chinese contractors working there. In March 2025, a newly built building in Thailand collapsed, which was constructed by Chinese state-owned China Railway No. 10, while other modern buildings remained unhurt. This raised strong concerns over the Chinese contractors, as the ill-fated building was referred to as tofu-dreg. The same China Railway No. 10 came under scanner in Kenya also after a bridge collapsed and injured 27 people. It was also blamed for tofu dreg in Ecuador and Brazil as well.
The news of the Thailand building collapse spread like wildfire on social media, but it met with censorship in China. Social media posts were deleted, news articles removed, and links made inaccessible. Yet, the incident became the talk of the town. “None of the surrounding buildings in Bangkok collapsed – only that one did. Moreover, the way it collapsed was extremely dramatic; it was pulverized rather than tilting to one side. This is a classic sign of substandard construction and cost-cutting,” Wang said, using the term “tofu-dreg project,” said Wang Kuo-Chen, assistant research fellow at Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research.
Even China’s all-weather ally Pakistan was not spared. Pakistan had to halt operations of the Chinese contractor-built Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Station after it developed cracks. This caused Islamabad to spend significant money on repairs even as the suspension of energy generation added to the country’s power woes. Tzeng Wei-Feng, an associate researcher with Taiwan’s National Chengchi University Institute of International Relations said the Thailand building collapse dented the reputation of the Belt Road Initiative (BRI). “Southeast Asian nations might reassess their collaborations with Chinese firms, scrutinizing project details more carefully,” Tzeng said.
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