China's railway industry: a means of diplomacy

Photo taken on Jan 6, 2014 shows technicians work on the Ankara-Istanbul high-speed railway constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) in Turkey. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - The Chinese railway industry has become a means of diplomacy as China's bullet trains and high-speed rail have become buzzwords in the news coverage of meetings between Chinese leaders and their overseas counterparts.

Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University, said "high-speed trains mark China's rising power and influence globally."

As an advocate of the Chinese high-speed railway, Premier Li Keqiang has made all-out efforts during many foreign trips to highlight the country's high-speed rail technology, saying it ensures cost-effective projects without sacrificing quality.

In October 2013, Li's speech at the Thai parliament was widely reported by global media outlets, with many focusing on his "sales pitch" on behalf of China's railway industry.

One month later, he stressed the advantage of Chinese railway equipment and technologies in addressing a trade forum between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries in Bucharest, Romania.

In May 2014, Li said at the headquarters of the African Union in Ethiopia that China would actively participate in infrastructure projects in Africa and build a high-speed rail research center in the continent.

He has pushed for bilateral cooperation in the railway sector during his other overseas trips, including that to Britain in June 2014 and the four-nation tour in Latin America in May.