美国可学习中国的高铁项目

Once the speed gauge hits 350 kilometers per hour, or 217 miles per hour, passengers charge down the aisle to photograph the electronic display.

"If we go any faster, we’ll take off!" jokes Hu Qing, cracking open another can of beer on China’s world-record-breaking train.

The December 26 opening of the high-speed link between south Chinese cities Guangzhou and Wuhan is the latest example of massive State spending to keep China’s economy roaring. The fast-expanding network of high-speed trains is stoking patriotism, too.

"This train is the pride of the Chinese people," says Hu, 42, the boss of a paper factory, who chose the train over a direct flight home to Northeast China.

US companies await the first round of government grants announced by President Obama in his State of the Union address totaling $8 billion to jump-start long-delayed high-speed rail in the US.

Meanwhile, China enjoys a considerable head-start.

Last year, Beijing invested $88 billion in the country’s railways, according to the Ministry of Railways, and now operates a world-leading 1,758 miles of high-speed rail.

Obama said he wanted to study China’s high-speed trains during his November 2009 visit, recalls the ministry’s beaming spokesman Wang Yongping. The USA "can learn from Chinese rail’s speed, comfort and other aspects," Wang suggests.

Like railway advocates in the USA, the ministry touts rail as a greener, more energy-efficient form of transportation than driving or flying.

For passengers, it promotes high-speed trains as "fast, safe, comfortable, convenient and punctual."

With top operating speeds of 221 mph, the new trains connect cities almost as fast as a jet but without the lengthy security procedures at airports.

Speed and convenience are paramount for business traveler Zhao Shiquan.

The founder of an environmental equipment company, Zhao stopped checking in for a Wuhan flight at Guangzhou airport in late December when a friend suggested the new train.

"I wanted to know which is more convenient, the plane or the train?" says Zhao, settling into his reclinable, first-class seat.