BEIJING, Oct 29 — China has vowed to build a high-speed railway network that spans across Southeast Asia, and if successful, travelling between Yunnan and Singapore will take a mere 10 hours.

The construction of a high-speed rail linking Kunming, China and Vientiane, Laos, commenced in 2011 and is scheduled to be completed in five years.

Thailand’s junta has pledged to build three high-speed railways. One will link Nong Khai and Nakhon Ratchasima; the other will connect Nakhon Ratchasima, Bangkok and Map Ta Phut; the last will serve as a link between Bangkok and Rayong. These new links have the potentials to link Thailand to southern China.

According to China Railway Corp, the construction of the Kunming-Singapore line will be broken down into four stages. Apart from the Kunming-Vientiane and the Vientiane-Bangkok sections, the other stages include Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, and Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.

China was also previously in talks with Myanmar to build a high-speed railway connecting Yunnan and Kyaukpyu. However, due to opposition from local people, the plan has been shelved but the Chinese government said it would continue to push for the project. — Reuters

A high-speed train travelling to Guangzhou is seen running on Yongdinghe Bridge in Beijing, December 26, 2012. — Reuters pic