CRI听力:China's High-speed Railway Export

Until now, China has built 10,000 kilometers of high-speed railways on its soil; the figure is 30 percent greater than the sum of that of other countries.

Standing out from the competition with Japan, Germany and France, which used to lead in high-speed railway technology, Chinese capabilities regarding high-speed railways is now well recognized.

Professor Peng Qiyuan at the Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, elaborates.

"Our technology is not weak, when compared with that of France or Germany. Sometimes we even have better technology, which enables our high-speed trains to travel in extreme weather or go for long distances. China's geographic and climate diversity requires us to develop technology very well, with lower cost."

Last year, China and a couple of countries agreed to cooperate in high-speed railway development; those countries included Thailand, Hungary and Serbia.

Sheng Guangzu, head of China Railway Corporation, discusses the future of Chinese railways on a global basis.

"We will conduct wide international cooperation, build up the Chinese railway industry and become more competitive in the global market. Now, we are working on projects in Laos, Hungary, Serbia and Thailand."

In the current global economy, some countries expect to boost their economy through infrastructure, especially when building high-speed railways.

Chen Fengying, Director of the Institute of World Economic Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, says the export of high-speed railway components from China is significant in various aspects.

"The success of China's high-speed railways might be a signal; it indicates that manufacturing with high technology may add to the trade value of these high-speed railway components. China's exports will not only win by quantity, but also in quality and value."

High-speed railways are not only about transportation. They imply huge economic and business potential for international cooperation. They also create competition in the transportation industry, but fortunately, that competition benefits the consumer.