China is in negotiations to extend its new high-speed rail network to 17 nations, building a new Silk Road to India, central and southeast Asia, Russia and even Europe.

The main obstacles are political; China's rapid development of bullet trains and high-speed rail networks in the past few years means that technical issues should not be a problem.

One proposal involves a line running from Kunming, in southwestern Yunnan province, to New Delhi, Lahore and Tehran. Eventually it could link up to Europe, with 350km/h bullet trains linking up to Germany via Kazakhstan or to Singapore via Burma.

By 2013 China will have the world s most comprehensive high-speed network and 800 bullet trains. By 2020 it expects to have 120,000km of railway, making it the most extensive system outside the US. The expanded network will include 50,000km of high-speed track, compared with 6,550km now.

The sheer size of China's population means rail travel is a fast, cheap way to transport people around the country, as air travel remains beyond the means of so many of the country s citizens.

China is keen to export this technology: Chinese companies are building high-speed lines in Turkey and Venezuela, and are to bid for contracts in California, Florida and Illinois. The new Silk Road could soon be spreading across the world.