USA Today — 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 Dec. 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.

U.S. 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 USA.

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. [read more…]