First, "high-speed rail diplomacy" opens the 3.0 era of China's diplomacy

China's peaceful rise requires pragmatic diplomacy, mutually beneficial diplomacy and strength-based diplomacy. On October 12, 2013 in Thailand and on November 25, 2013 in Eastern Europe, Premier Li Keqiang personally promoted the export of China's high-speed rail technology, sounding the call for China's high-speed rail to "go global" and in effect opening a new era in the development of China's diplomacy. The "ping-pong diplomacy" in history, under the specific international relations context of the time, once helped promote the re-establishment of a new type of major-country relations and made China a more open major country with greater international standing; "panda diplomacy," along with the advancement of reform and opening up, displayed the elegance of Chinese culture and the hospitality of the Chinese people in different periods; today, "high-speed rail diplomacy," as the country's new calling card, is a manifestation of comprehensive capabilities in technology integration, industrial supporting capacity, major equipment, international financing, international trade and coordination of international relations, marking that China's diplomacy has begun to embark on a development path commensurate with the international standing of the world's second-largest economy and opening the 3.0 era of China's diplomacy.

Second, China's high-speed rail "going global" helps facilitate the historic transformation from "Made in China" to "Created in China"

High-speed rail involves technologies of five major systems. China has mastered a complete set of high-speed railway technologies integrating design and construction, equipment manufacturing, vehicle control, system integration and operation management, and has formed a high-speed railway technology system with world-advanced levels and independent intellectual property rights. In accordance with the technical policy of "advanced, mature, economical, applicable and reliable," China aimed at the world's most advanced high-speed railway technologies from the initial stage of development. At present, Chinese enterprises have undertaken railway construction projects in more than 50 countries and regions, and railway equipment and components have spread to more than 50 countries and regions in Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas. China's high-speed rail production and exports have considerable strength, and the core technological advantages of high-speed rail are very obvious. Technology export is precisely the beginning of establishing international advantages for high-speed rail. China's high-speed rail "going global" plays a leading role in the export of China's high-tech industries and will surely drive the take-off of a large number of high-tech industries, with great significance and far-reaching influence. China's high-speed rail "going global" helps facilitate the historic transformation from "Made in China" to "Created in China." Chinese standards will surely lead the world.

Third, China's high-speed rail "going global" is conducive to establishing a national security system

The basic guarantee of national security is the possession of air supremacy, sea supremacy, land supremacy and space supremacy. The United States, with aircraft carriers as its pivot, has established a vast network of bases around the world; this serves its global strategy of "sea supremacy" and "air supremacy." Today's major powers are racing to develop aerospace in order to grasp "space supremacy." China is a major land power; wherever railways are built, the will of the state extends there, and the national security system is constructed there. The economic integration of Eurasia with high-speed rail as its pillar will bring China a land-power era. When "sea power" and "land power" coexist, China can establish a hedging situation in its global strategic posture. Whoever formulates the technical standards and management systems for high-speed rail worldwide in the future will grasp the "law of the land" that safeguards national security. China's high-speed rail "going global" sustains China's position in Eurasian geopolitics and the global landscape, and sustains the major missions of ethnic unity in border areas, social stability and national defense security.

Fourth, high-speed rail "going global" is a strategic need for China's economic breakthrough and development

After the 2008 world economic crisis, global economic growth has been sluggish, recovery uneven, and downside risks remain. On the 19th of last month (November), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) lowered its world economic growth forecasts for 2013 and 2014 from 3.1% and 4% to 2.7% and 3.6%. Emerging countries, especially China, will continue to improve. The just-concluded Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee released huge reform dividends, and China's development also faces a more severe international environment.

In recent years, the United States has adjusted its global strategy and begun implementing the so-called "rebalancing" policy of "returning to Asia." The United States led the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), which currently has 12 member states and links ASEAN and Japan with the United States. All of China's top 10 trading partners have been included. However, political preconditions have been set, effectively placing mainland China outside the agreement relationship. Following the TPP, the United States has also promoted the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Through the TTIP, the United States is driving Europe and Japan to regain global geopolitical and economic-trade advantages through transnational and transregional economic and trade integration. Over the past 10-plus years, China's foreign trade volume has accounted for one-tenth of global trade volume, and China's market potential will be enormous in the next 20 years. However, through the TPP and TTIP, the United States is joining with Europe and Japan to set up a separate framework and create a comprehensive economic and trade liberalization network that in effect surpasses WTO norms. Once these networks are established, they will form trade barriers for the relevant emerging countries and offset the development achievements of China's reform and opening up. If the TPP and TTIP are ultimately concluded, then the major economies other than China and the BRICS countries will all enter these two major trade zones, and China's position will then be very passive.