China creating high-speed rail technology to expand trade ambitions
China is producing a new generation of trains, capable of carrying passengers at a top speed of 500km/h and cargo at 250km/h, with wheels that can adjust to different track gauges. The trains will use a hybrid-propulsion system that allows higher speeds and is designed to operate during the harsh winters in China's northeastern provinces, where temperatures can fall to -40 degrees Celsius. The domestic high-speed tracks already cover 20,000km and will increase to 45,000km by 2030, and is also set to help in China's trade ambitions.

Jia Limin says that with the enhanced technology, China will have the experience to operate high-speed rail networks in the world’s most diverse geographic and climatic conditions, from deserts to alpine plateaus to rainforests. Photo: Dickson Lee