China is gearing up bullet train sales in other countries. (Photo : Getty Images)
The "standard units" or electric multiple units (EMU) departed from Dalian for the Liaoning capital of Shenyang. Train number G8041 is the first passenger unit using an EMU, according to Zhou Li, head of technological management at the China Railway Corporation.
These trains run at 350 kilometers per hour and has a modern exterior. They also have additional safety features.
There are 2,470 EMUs in China which are running at high-speed tracks as long as 19,000 kilometers. China's railway is the largest in the world.
"China independently owns the design of the EMU, and it will be a leading model for China to export to the world," Zhou said.
The country built the high-speed railway in Indonesia that connects Bandung to Jakarta. The train started running in Jan. 2016 and cut travel time by two-thirds.
Meanwhile, the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) opened its Tangshan factory to fulfill light rail orders from overseas. The company already sold units to Germany, Turkey, and several African countries.
Biru Paksha Paul, chief economist with the Central Bank of Bangladesh, said, "It shows how a state-owned company can produce world-class products like bullet trains. It will feed the [One Belt, One Road] initiative."
China is competing with Japan to sell more high-speed trains. Analysts believe that Japan has an advantage as the manufacturers are from the private sector.
Li Yanfei, an economist in Jakarta with the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia, said, "China needs more bottom-up research and communication with host countries."
Li urges the government to do "long-term and careful planning for overseas investment."
According to the economist, the country must form diplomatic policies that are for the long haul, and focus on developing the global transport sector.
