High-speed rails can transport China's values with them across world
By Gong Fangbin (
Global Times)
08:33, September 18, 2014
(Illustration: Liu Rui/GT)
The world sticks to two principles. First, only big powers that stand above human civilization can play a leading role and make their rise. Second, countries exist in three levels. Third-class countries export products, second-class ones export standards and rules, and first-class ones export culture and core values.
It is likely that for a long time from now on China can export standards in a few fields. Injecting culture and core values into these standards should become a strategic goal in line with the notion of the Chinese dream.
This should be attached importance to and made into concrete plans. The reality shows that exporting high-speed railway can become a primary goal.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang once said he felt confident when promoting China's high-speed rails. This is based on the rapid development and successful operation of China's high-speed rails.
At the same time, we should think: Besides economic benefits, what else is involved in high-speed rails export?
China's standards and rules, as well as cultural and core values should also be exported too. These belong to soft power.
We can borrow a helping hand from the lifestyles of people across the world, together with the advancement and compatibility of our products and China's active role on the global stage.
There have been many successful models. When China negotiated its entry into the WTO, the US cared most about the export of its cultural products to China, rather than its industrial products. Now we have clearly felt the Americans' intentions and strategic thinking.
Therefore, we need to work on several aspects of the high-speed rail project. The first is making exporting high-speed rails a national strategic project.
Top leaders can promote them at diplomatic occasions, and other sectors such as military and commerce should also help to ensure China's high-speed rails can expand to the world more rapidly.
The high-speed rails can become a national symbol, the influence of which can be like the impact of Japanese electronics when entering the Chinese market.
We should export the technology and rules at the same time. This is what Western countries have been doing since the industrial revolution.
Even a US-brand hamburger is made with the US standards. Exporting high-speed rails, an economic activity with broader influence, should certainly have its own standards and rules too. We should bear in mind that China's rise essentially lies in the standards and rules that China makes, instead of the consumer goods that it exports.
Last but not least, Chinese culture and core values should be exported together with the high-speed rails, so as to make the world recognize and accept the China model.
Speed and integration are China's new international image in terms of high-speed rails. It means that the speed of the rails integrates with that of China's development.
China, a new power, plays a supportive role in global development. Speed shortens time and space, and China is connecting with the world in a faster pace.
This indicates that the integration of China and the world will create a community of common destiny, rather than separate the two.