Great Leap Forward: A Look at “Great Power Speed: The Rise of China’s High-Speed Rail”

The speed at which China has built up its high-speed rail network is nothing short of astonishing. In a country where, just a few decades ago, train travel meant slow, crowded journeys on aging lines, gleaming bullet trains now whisk passengers between major cities at speeds exceeding 350 kilometers per hour. This remarkable transformation has captured the world’s attention, with some hailing it as a symbol of China’s technological prowess and others questioning its sustainability.

Published in 2017, “Great Power Speed: The Rise of China’s High-Speed Rail” (大国速度：中国高铁崛起之路), by Gao Tie Jian Wen (高铁见闻), delves into the fascinating history of China’s high-speed rail, exploring the challenges, controversies, and triumphs that have shaped its trajectory. The book, widely circulated on Chinese social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo, has generated significant interest among Chinese readers eager to understand the story behind their nation’s high-speed rail miracle.

This review aims to provide an engaging and accessible introduction to the key themes of “Great Power Speed” for an American audience. For readers unfamiliar with China’s recent history, some context and explanation will be provided to help illuminate the broader forces at play. Let’s embark on a journey through the pages of this insightful book to uncover the remarkable story of China’s high-speed rail revolution.

The Genesis of a Dream: A Bullet Train Named Desire

“Great Power Speed” takes us back to a pivotal moment in China’s history: 1978. The Cultural Revolution had just ended, and China, under Deng Xiaoping’s leadership, was taking its first tentative steps towards economic reform and opening up to the world. It was during this symbolic year that Deng, eager to learn from developed nations, embarked on a landmark visit to Japan. Amidst packed schedules and diplomatic exchanges, a seemingly minor event would spark a revolution in China’s transportation future: Deng’s ride on the Shinkansen.

Imagine this: Deng, accustomed to the rumble of China’s aging, often overcrowded trains, experiencing the smooth, silent rush of the Shinkansen, a sleek bullet train hurtling at 210 kilometers per hour. For a nation where train travel was still the primary mode of long-distance transportation, this was a glimpse into a future beyond imagination. The “bullet train,” as it was aptly nicknamed in China, captured Deng’s imagination, planting the seed for a high-speed rail network that would one day crisscross the nation.

However, “Great Power Speed” doesn’t shy away from the daunting reality that separated Deng’s vision from its realization. China’s railway system in the 1980s was a far cry from the gleaming efficiency of the Shinkansen. The book paints a stark picture of a system grappling with aging infrastructure, a legacy of underfunding, and a rigid bureaucratic structure. To many, the notion of investing billions in a new high-speed network seemed ludicrous, especially when other industrialized nations, like the United States, were busy dismantling their own rail lines.

Yet, the allure of high-speed rail persisted, fueled by a handful of visionary engineers who had witnessed its transformative power firsthand. “Great Power Speed” introduces us to these pioneers, individuals like Shen Zhiyun, a professor at Southwest Jiaotong University, who would become a tireless advocate for high-speed rail. Shen, inspired by his exposure to cutting-edge rail technologies in the UK, understood the potential of high-speed rail to revolutionize China’s economy and society. Back home, he dedicated himself to research, tirelessly promoting the benefits of high-speed rail and pushing for its development.

“Great Power Speed” doesn’t simply present a linear narrative of progress. Instead, it delves into the messy, contentious debates that swirled around the feasibility of high-speed rail in China. A vocal faction, skeptical of the need for such a massive investment, argued for a more cost-effective approach: upgrading existing lines with tilting trains. These trains, capable of leaning into curves, allowed for higher speeds without the need for extensive new track construction. This “gradualist” approach, they argued, would be more aligned with China’s economic realities.

Adding further complexity to the debate was the emergence of a “maglev” faction, primarily within the Chinese Academy of Sciences. These proponents championed the futuristic technology of magnetic levitation trains, arguing that they offered even higher speeds and smoother rides than conventional high-speed rail. The maglev camp, with its emphasis on technological leapfrogging, presented a compelling alternative vision for China’s rail future.

“Great Power Speed” meticulously documents these early battles, fought in the pages of academic journals, within government reports, and even in the halls of the National People’s Congress. It reveals how technical arguments intertwined with economic considerations and political maneuvering, creating a dynamic and often frustrating landscape for the proponents of high-speed rail. The debates, spanning years, highlight the complex challenges of bringing a transformative technology to life in a nation still grappling with its own modernization. The “Great Power Speed” of China’s high-speed rail rollout was still years away, brewing in the cauldron of competing visions and national aspirations.

The Quest for Speed: Laying the Tracks for a High-Speed Future

As “Great Power Speed” vividly illustrates, the path to China’s high-speed rail dominance wasn’t a sudden leap, but a calculated climb. While debates raged about the ideal technology and the economic feasibility of a high-speed network, China’s railway officials took a pragmatic approach, focusing on incrementally modernizing the existing system. The book meticulously details a series of ambitious “speed-up campaigns” launched in the 1990s and early 2000s, transforming the face of China’s conventional rail lines.

These campaigns weren’t just about slapping on a fresh coat of paint. They involved a fundamental overhaul of the nation’s rail infrastructure, signaling systems, and rolling stock. “Great Power Speed” delves into the technical nitty-gritty, showcasing the innovations that allowed for these speed increases. One such innovation was the introduction of seamless welded rails. Gone was the iconic “clickety-clack” of train travel, replaced by a smoother, quieter ride. These continuous rails, eliminating the gaps and joints of traditional track, not only enhanced passenger comfort but also reduced wear and tear on the trains, contributing to greater efficiency and safety.

The book also highlights the development of new locomotives and passenger coaches specifically designed for high-speed operation. These new trains, a far cry from the aging behemoths of the past, incorporated aerodynamic designs, advanced braking systems, and improved suspension to handle the increased speeds. China’s engineers were pushing the boundaries of domestic train manufacturing, learning by doing, and laying the foundation for a future high-speed industry.

A pivotal moment in this quest for speed was the construction of the Qin-Shen Passenger Dedicated Line, a project that would mark a paradigm shift in China’s rail strategy. Completed in 2003, the Qin-Shen line, stretching over 400 kilometers between Qinhuangdao and Shenyang, was China’s first dedicated passenger railway. Unlike the shared-use lines of the past, this line was built exclusively for high-speed passenger trains, allowing for speeds up to 250 kilometers per hour.

The Qin-Shen line wasn’t just about connecting two cities; it was a statement of intent, a symbol of China’s high-speed rail ambitions taking concrete form. “Great Power Speed” underlines the significance of this project as a testing ground for cutting-edge technologies. The line incorporated ballastless track, a then-novel approach where the rails are laid on a concrete base instead of the traditional gravel ballast. This technology, already being implemented in Europe and Japan, offered superior stability, reduced track maintenance, and allowed for higher speeds. The Qin-Shen line provided Chinese engineers with valuable experience in implementing and managing this advanced system.

Beyond infrastructure, the Qin-Shen line served as a catalyst for the development of a domestic high-speed train manufacturing industry. The book describes how several Chinese companies seized this opportunity, vying to produce trains that could meet the line’s demanding specifications. These companies, drawing on their experience from earlier “speed-up campaigns” and collaborating with research institutions, produced a variety of prototype trains, each pushing the limits of speed and technology.

One of the most notable of these prototypes was the “China Star” (中华之星), a train that captured the nation’s imagination and briefly held the record for the fastest train in China. “Great Power Speed” recounts the excitement surrounding the “China Star’s” record-breaking run, reaching a speed of 321.5 kilometers per hour during testing on the Qin-Shen line. This achievement, widely celebrated in the media, was a source of national pride, signaling China’s growing capacity to develop its own high-speed technology.

However, the book also acknowledges the limitations of relying solely on domestic technology at this stage. While the “China Star” and other prototypes showed promise, they also suffered from reliability issues, plagued by frequent breakdowns and technical glitches that led to delays and cancellations. These setbacks, frustrating for passengers and costly for the railway, highlighted the challenges of achieving the performance and safety standards required for a commercially viable high-speed rail system. “Great Power Speed” suggests that these early struggles, while discouraging, would ultimately prove to be valuable lessons, pushing China to explore alternative paths for achieving its high-speed rail ambitions. The stage was set for a bold new strategy: one that would leverage the expertise of global leaders in high-speed rail technology while simultaneously fostering China’s own technological independence.

The Great Leap Forward: Masterminding a High-Speed Revolution

The year 2003 marked a pivotal turning point in China’s high-speed rail journey with the arrival of Liu Zhijun at the helm of the Ministry of Railways. Liu, a man who earned the nickname “Crazy Liu” for his relentless pursuit of speed and efficiency, brought a new urgency and ambition to China’s rail development. As “Great Power Speed” reveals, he understood that incremental progress wouldn’t suffice for a nation on the cusp of an economic and social transformation. China needed a “Great Leap Forward” in its rail infrastructure, and Liu was determined to deliver it.

The book paints a vivid portrait of Liu as a force of nature, a leader who wasn’t afraid to shake things up and challenge the status quo. He swiftly silenced the decades-long debate between the “gradualists,” who advocated for upgrading existing lines, and the “maglev” proponents, pushing for a futuristic, albeit unproven, technology. Liu’s focus was clear: China needed a high-speed rail network, and it needed it fast. His vision, as outlined in the ambitious “Medium and Long-Term Railway Network Plan” released in 2004, was nothing short of breathtaking. The plan called for a 12,000-kilometer high-speed rail network, forming the backbone of a “Four Vertical and Four Horizontal” system that would connect major cities across the nation, transforming China into a high-speed society.

“Great Power Speed” reveals the strategic brilliance behind Liu’s approach. He recognized that while China had the ambition and resources to build a world-class high-speed rail network, it lacked the experience and technological expertise to do it alone. Instead of clinging to a purely indigenous approach, which had yielded mixed results with earlier prototypes like the “China Star,” Liu embraced a pragmatic strategy: technology transfer. He set his sights on acquiring the most advanced high-speed rail technologies from global leaders, recognizing that this would not only accelerate the development of China’s network but also provide a valuable learning opportunity for Chinese engineers.

The book takes us inside the high-stakes world of international technology negotiations, where Liu’s team employed a masterful strategy to secure favorable terms from global giants like Siemens, Alstom, Kawasaki, and Bombardier. They leveraged China’s burgeoning market, the largest and fastest-growing in the world, as a powerful bargaining chip. By pitting these companies against each other in a carefully orchestrated bidding process, Liu’s team, acting as a “strategic buyer,” extracted concessions that would have been unthinkable just a few years earlier.

These weren’t just simple purchase agreements; they were comprehensive technology transfer deals that ensured Chinese companies gained access to the critical design blueprints, manufacturing know-how, and technical expertise needed to build their own high-speed trains. “Great Power Speed” describes how these agreements, meticulously crafted to protect China’s interests, included clauses guaranteeing complete technical documentation, hands-on training for Chinese engineers, and the localization of key component manufacturing within China.

The book goes beyond the boardroom negotiations to showcase the meticulous process of technology digestion and absorption that followed. Chinese engineers, embedded in the factories and design offices of their foreign partners, learned the intricate details of high-speed train design, from the aerodynamic shaping of the nose cones to the sophisticated control systems that ensured safe and efficient operation. They participated in the assembly of the first imported trainsets, carefully studying each step and documenting the processes. This hands-on experience, combined with the technical documentation provided under the transfer agreements, laid the foundation for China’s own high-speed train manufacturing industry.

The implementation of Liu’s “leapfrog development” strategy wasn’t limited to technology transfer. He also spearheaded a sweeping restructuring of China’s railway industry, aiming to create a more efficient and market-oriented system that could support the massive expansion of the high-speed network. “Great Power Speed” outlines these key reforms:

• Separation of Government and Commercial Operations: The Ministry of Railways was stripped of its dual role as both regulator and operator, with a new regulatory body, the National Railway Administration, created to oversee safety and industry standards. This move aimed to increase transparency and accountability, ensuring that commercial interests wouldn’t compromise safety.
• Consolidation of Rolling Stock Manufacturers: China’s fragmented train manufacturing sector was consolidated into two major state-owned enterprises, CSR and CNR, creating national champions capable of competing on a global scale. These companies, equipped with the technology and expertise acquired through the transfer agreements, would become the driving force behind China’s high-speed train production.
• Introduction of Private Investment: Recognizing the immense capital requirements of the high-speed rail program, Liu opened up railway construction to private investment, attracting capital from both domestic and international sources. This move, a significant departure from the past, helped to accelerate the pace of construction and ease the burden on government finances.

By 2007, the fruits of Liu’s bold strategy were beginning to ripen. China had begun operating its first high-speed trains on upgraded conventional lines, offering passengers a taste of the speed and comfort to come. “Great Power Speed” captures the public’s excitement and enthusiasm for these new services, a sense of national pride in China’s burgeoning technological prowess.

The culmination of this “Great Leap Forward” came in 2008 with the unveiling of the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, China’s first dedicated high-speed line, designed for speeds up to 350 kilometers per hour. This line, a technological marvel, served as a key component of the transportation infrastructure for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, showcasing China’s growing capabilities to a global audience. The Beijing-Tianjin line became a symbol of China’s emergence as a high-speed rail powerhouse, challenging the established dominance of Japan and Europe in the field.

“Great Power Speed” concludes this chapter by highlighting the remarkable progress of China’s high-speed rail program in the years that followed. The network continued to expand at an unprecedented pace, reaching over 20,000 kilometers by 2016, connecting major cities and transforming the way people lived, worked, and traveled. China, once a laggard in rail technology, had not only caught up with but surpassed the global leaders, becoming a major exporter of high-speed rail technology and a formidable competitor in the global market. Liu Zhijun’s bold strategy, a masterstroke of pragmatism and ambition, had propelled China into the forefront of the high-speed rail revolution, leaving an indelible mark on the nation’s transportation landscape and its global standing.

Why You Should Read This Book

“Great Power Speed: The Rise of China’s High-Speed Rail” is more than just a chronicle of engineering feats; it’s a compelling narrative of ambition, political maneuvering, and national pride. This book offers a valuable and insightful account of how China, in just a few decades, transformed itself from a nation with an aging, inefficient rail system into the world leader in high-speed rail technology.

For American readers unfamiliar with the nuances of China’s development, “Great Power Speed” provides a fascinating peek behind the curtain. It reveals the inner workings of China’s political system, showcasing how decisions are made, how competing factions vie for influence, and how national priorities are set. It also sheds light on the dynamics of China’s economic development, illustrating how the government leverages infrastructure projects like high-speed rail to fuel economic growth and reshape the nation’s social fabric.

The book offers particularly relevant lessons for those interested in the complexities of technology transfer. It details China’s shrewd “strategic buyer” approach, a masterclass in leveraging market power and international competition to acquire advanced technologies. It explores the challenges and triumphs of absorbing foreign expertise, adapting it to local conditions, and ultimately forging a path towards independent innovation. The story of China’s high-speed rail development serves as a compelling case study in how nations can accelerate their technological progress by strategically engaging with global leaders.

While the focus is on China, “Great Power Speed” raises broader questions about the role of government in driving innovation, the delicate balance between imitating and surpassing existing technologies, and the fierce competition for technological leadership in a globalized world. The book provides a nuanced perspective on the relationship between economic development, technological advancement, and national ambition, prompting readers to consider the potential of large-scale infrastructure projects to reshape not only transportation landscapes but also national destinies.

For anyone seeking a deeper understanding of China’s rise as a global power, the transformative impact of technology, or the future of transportation, “Great Power Speed: The Rise of China’s High-Speed Rail” is an essential read. It’s a captivating story that transcends national boundaries, offering valuable insights and thought-provoking questions for readers around the world.