China's High-Speed Rail Diplomacy Hits Full Speed with 20 countries in deep talks about high speed rail with China involvement

China's high-speed railroad network surpassed 10,000 kilometers in length, not even counting the track still being built, Li Keqiang has continued his efforts to seek overseas projects.

The latest progress came during Li's three-day visit to Britain in mid-June. The two countries released a statement stating that they "agree to promote substantive cooperation on rail, including high-speed rail, in areas including design, engineering, construction, supply, operations and maintenance.

A report by the International Union of Railways says 10 countries or regions around the world have high-speed rail operations and another 10 have begun planning to build networks. By 2025, the number of kilometers of high-speed rail tracks around the world is expected to double.

Industry experts see in China a country that has gone from zero kilometers of track to more than 10,000 kilometers in four years, and is therefore particularly well-positioned in this expanding market.

A sort of "high-speed rail diplomacy" has become an extra arm of the government's foreign affairs. Li has taken every opportunity to promote China's high-speed rail technologies during his trips abroad, thus earning the nickname China's High-Speed Rail Salesman.

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