China wants to build an 8,000-mile underwater train tunnel to America

Rishi wrote:Ishaan Tharoor is a son of Sashi Tharoor?

confuzzled dude wrote:China is planning to build a train line that would, in theory, connect Beijing to the United States. According to a report in the Beijing Times, citing an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese officials are considering a route that would start in the country's northeast, thread through eastern Siberia and cross the Bering Strait via a 125-mile long underwater tunnel into Alaska.

"Right now we're already in discussions. Russia has already been thinking about this for many years," says Wang Mengshu, the engineer cited in the article. The proposed "China-Russia-Canada-America" line would be some 8,000 miles long, 1,800 miles longer than the Trans-Siberian railroad. The tunnel that the Chinese would help bore beneath the icy seas would be four times the length of what traverses the English Channel.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/09/china-may-build-an-undersea-train-to-america/?hpid=z4

Seva Lamberdar wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:China is planning to build a train line that would, in theory, connect Beijing to the United States. According to a report in the Beijing Times, citing an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese officials are considering a route that would start in the country's northeast, thread through eastern Siberia and cross the Bering Strait via a 125-mile long underwater tunnel into Alaska.

"Right now we're already in discussions. Russia has already been thinking about this for many years," says Wang Mengshu, the engineer cited in the article. The proposed "China-Russia-Canada-America" line would be some 8,000 miles long, 1,800 miles longer than the Trans-Siberian railroad. The tunnel that the Chinese would help bore beneath the icy seas would be four times the length of what traverses the English Channel.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/09/china-may-build-an-undersea-train-to-america/?hpid=z4

When China and India were "bhai-bhai" during 1950s (under Chou-en-Lai and Nehru, respectively), there was a plan to connect Peking (the Chinese capital then) and New Delhi  through a railway line which would pass beneath the Himalayas using about 250 miles long tunnel. The whole thing came crashing down in the early 1960s when two countries got into serious border dispute and fights.

confuzzled dude wrote:China is planning to build a train line that would, in theory, connect Beijing to the United States. According to a report in the Beijing Times, citing an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese officials are considering a route that would start in the country's northeast, thread through eastern Siberia and cross the Bering Strait via a 125-mile long underwater tunnel into Alaska.

"Right now we're already in discussions. Russia has already been thinking about this for many years," says Wang Mengshu, the engineer cited in the article. The proposed "China-Russia-Canada-America" line would be some 8,000 miles long, 1,800 miles longer than the Trans-Siberian railroad. The tunnel that the Chinese would help bore beneath the icy seas would be four times the length of what traverses the English Channel.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/09/china-may-build-an-undersea-train-to-america/?hpid=z4

rawemotions wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:China is planning to build a train line that would, in theory, connect Beijing to the United States. According to a report in the Beijing Times, citing an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese officials are considering a route that would start in the country's northeast, thread through eastern Siberia and cross the Bering Strait via a 125-mile long underwater tunnel into Alaska.

"Right now we're already in discussions. Russia has already been thinking about this for many years," says Wang Mengshu, the engineer cited in the article. The proposed "China-Russia-Canada-America" line would be some 8,000 miles long, 1,800 miles longer than the Trans-Siberian railroad. The tunnel that the Chinese would help bore beneath the icy seas would be four times the length of what traverses the English Channel.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/09/china-may-build-an-undersea-train-to-america/?hpid=z4

This whole thing is contrived to help China in its negotiations with ASEAN in both trade and borders (South China Sea dispute). The idea is to indicate (effectively threaten) the ASEAN countries that their goods could be costlier when landing in US compared to Chinese goods, which would go by train. If China and Russia controls the lowest cost access to US. all other countries will be at their mercy.

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:

rawemotions wrote:

confuzzled dude wrote:China is planning to build a train line that would, in theory, connect Beijing to the United States. According to a report in the Beijing Times, citing an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese officials are considering a route that would start in the country's northeast, thread through eastern Siberia and cross the Bering Strait via a 125-mile long underwater tunnel into Alaska.

"Right now we're already in discussions. Russia has already been thinking about this for many years," says Wang Mengshu, the engineer cited in the article. The proposed "China-Russia-Canada-America" line would be some 8,000 miles long, 1,800 miles longer than the Trans-Siberian railroad. The tunnel that the Chinese would help bore beneath the icy seas would be four times the length of what traverses the English Channel.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/05/09/china-may-build-an-undersea-train-to-america/?hpid=z4

This whole thing is contrived to help China in its negotiations with ASEAN in both trade and borders (South China Sea dispute). The idea is to indicate (effectively threaten) the ASEAN countries that their goods could be costlier when landing in US compared to Chinese goods, which would go by train. If China and Russia controls the lowest cost access to US. all other countries will be at their mercy.

ASEAN knows all that and probably laugh it off. For one, it will pass through Russia, America, and Japan - not necessarily pals like US and UK and Canada.

Next, goods will be even costlier - after all, everything is 50% costlier in Alaska. If trains could make it cheaper, it would have equalize the Alaskan prize with the mainland long back.

In short - Dumbest idea.

rawemotions wrote:

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
ASEAN knows all that and probably laugh it off. For one, it will pass through Russia, America, and Japan - not necessarily pals like US and UK and Canada.

Next, goods will be even costlier - after all, everything is 50% costlier in Alaska. If trains could make it cheaper, it would have equalize the Alaskan prize with the mainland long back.

In short - Dumbest idea.

It does  not involve Japan. It is just a 125 mile under sea tunnel across Bering strait. But it will terribly expensive, but not impossible. It will take a long time for China to recoup investment. The idea of talking about it now is to get leverage with its negotiations with ASEAN

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:

rawemotions wrote:

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
ASEAN knows all that and probably laugh it off. For one, it will pass through Russia, America, and Japan - not necessarily pals like US and UK and Canada.

Next, goods will be even costlier - after all, everything is 50% costlier in Alaska. If trains could make it cheaper, it would have equalize the Alaskan prize with the mainland long back.

In short - Dumbest idea.

It does  not involve Japan. It is just a 125 mile under sea tunnel across Bering strait. But it will terribly expensive, but not impossible. It will take a long time for China to recoup investment. The idea of talking about it now is to get leverage with its negotiations with ASEAN

An idea can be leveraged ONLY if it is very likely to be implemented - like the Iran - Paki-India gas line.   China's desperation and vulnerability will be exposed if it brought this technically feasible but impossible by all tehr means - to the table with the ASEAN.

Doesn;t the Japanese have issue with the Ruskies on Kuril and Sakhalin islands?