Beijing has decided to invest billions of dollars in the construction of a new high-speed rail network to quickly move troops close to its border, the longest in the world after Russia.
China fears a possible escalation with several countries: India, Myanmar to the south, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to the west and a humanitarian crisis with North Korea should the regime fall. Hence the need to use high-speed trains to respond to stratified crises and emergencies.
The civilian high-speed railway line for military purposes has already been tested during an exercise that took place in Xinjiang. China has the largest high-speed rail network in the world, with trains traveling above 120 miles per hour.
Beijing currently has six high-speed lines in service. The one connecting Xianjiang is the most recent, having been inaugurated in 2014. By 2020, there will be fifteen high-speed lines in China.
The new military doctrine is based on the ability to move a light division 600 miles away within five hours on a high-speed train.
The Chinese army will also receive special convoys equipped with cruise missiles to be deployed along the coast in the home of conflict with Japan or Taiwan.
