High-speed development, faster human connection

China has experienced tremendous development since the founding of the People's Republic 70 years ago. Among all the tools and projects implemented to transform the country in such a short time, one in particular deserves special attention: connection. Plenty of efforts have been made in this field, and at least four have led to today's cutting edge technology that improves and links lives across the country: the high speed railway system, e-commerce, digital payment and the 5G. Together, they will enable more people to people connections and bring new opportunities to the country's economy. It is also impossible to miss the fact that they are already inspiring other nations, or even being implemented abroad.

Bringing people together in collaboration, sharing or exchange is vital for a healthy and harmonic community. China has always worked on the foundation of a collective society that can and should grow alongside its institutions, external and internal markets and, of course, it's technological developments. This goal of building a shared and prosperous society lies at the heart of China's achievements.

The effects of technological advancement however is not just limited to greater connectivity. While this is may be an obvious advantage, high-speed trains are also leading the upgrade of technology in the industry sector, helping to maintain stable and affordable public transport prices and creating new jobs. While people may return home to relatives with greater ease or travel the country, boosting tourism, it is also more convenient for businesses to conduct face-to-face meetings, creating stronger professional partnerships.

This modern ease is the result of extensive planning and goal orientation. China decided to upgrade its railway system; in order to do so, steps were taken to acquire financial resources in R&D, human resources, infrastructure and testing. In 2007, China opened its first 70 km high-speed trainline linking Beijing to Tianjin. Today the country is home t the biggest system in the world, with a total of 38,000 km.

Fast-track development can also be seen in other areas of life - consider e-commerce, which has completely transformed the way people shop across the country. In the early 2000s, many people saw the impact e-commerce was beginning to have, and thought it a possible way to rural villagers trade with an emerging urban middle class. Today, e-commerce in China e-commerce is an immense web of buyers and vendors, not to mention all employees in IT, logistics, warehouse and delivery, to name a few. These links are a few examples of just how much people to people connections have been responsible for growth in the Chinese internal consumer market. 

Janaína Camara da Silveira is a journalist and holds a master’s degree in economics.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.