The ambitious 13,000-km high-speed rail line is known as the “China-Canada-Canada-US” line, and although the trade war is underway, connecting mainland China to the United States across the Bering Strait may be achieved.
Chinese Underwater Train (Representative Image)
Beijing may begin working on its proposed underwater rail project that connects mainland Beijing cities to the United States after exciting economic success and a bold belt and road initiative to connect China to Europe through Central and West Asia. The ambitious 13,000-km high-speed rail line is known as the “China-Canada-Canada-US” line, and although the trade war is underway, connecting mainland China to the United States across the Bering Strait may be achieved.
Beijing goes to Alaska through Siberia, eastern Canada, eastern Russia
The project is estimated to cost $200 billion and is expected to link Beijing to Alaska through Siberia, eastern Russia and Canada. Its underwater part will span about 200 kilometers below the Bering Strait. It is four times the tunnel of the passage between Britain and France and is one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever.
It is recommended that the railway connection will start from northeast China, cross Siberia and eastern Russia, cross the Bering Strait through underwater tunnels into Alaska, continue through the Yukon and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, and reach the mainland our continental province, which will be longer than the Trans-Siberian Railway and is now the longest railway line.
Can China make this project miracle?
Although it will be an engineering miracle upon completion, China has experience in building a high-speed train system. In addition, the 77km Ningbo-Zhoushan project with a 16.2km subsea area may be the basis for underwater railway construction technology. The project is most likely to be completed by 2025. Second, large investments like the 55-kilometer Hong Kong Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and Tibet’s Lhasa-Nyingchi bullet train have proven to be unquestionable investment in engineering strength and infrastructure in Beijing.
Although the project was announced in 2014, it remains pending. It has been severely criticized for several reasons, including geopolitical cooperation between China, Russia and the United States, but there is a tense relationship between the United States and China.
Criticized projects
The project has also been criticized for economic reasons. Flights between China and the United States will be cheaper than a $200 billion rail line, especially given the lower population density in Siberia and Alaska. However, the project will achieve much-needed links between the two countries. In addition, it will supplement $900 billion in BRI projects.
The project has also been criticized for environmental reasons. The entire Bering Strait’s tectonics may prove dangerous because of its fragile ecosystem. In addition, the strait is much deeper and the climate is very harsh, which makes construction very difficult.
