New railways could transform South-East Asia
China is keen to assist
Few better ways exist to see Vietnam than to travel on its north-south railway. It was originally built by French colonialists, and its trains pass rice paddies, verdant mountains and spectacular coastlines as they go from Hanoi, the capital, to Ho Chi Minh City. However, the trains move at a leisurely 30 miles (50km) per hour. Rather than spend 36 hours on the train, most people take a two-hour flight.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Doing the locomotion”
Asia October 12th 2024
From the October 12th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Kazakhstan’s referendum on nuclear energy could benefit Russia
The opposition have been barred from campaigning or locked up
Asia is weighing data-centre ambitions against sustainability
Malaysia and Singapore illustrate the region’s resource balancing act
Is India’s economy slowing down?
New data highlight old problems
Has Narendra Modi lost his mojo?
Two state elections suggest that India’s prime minister is no longer such a vote-winner
America v China: who controls Asia’s internet?
Amid an explosive data and AI boom the superpower contest hots up
China is using an “anaconda strategy” to squeeze Taiwan
Taiwan’s navy commander warns that his forces are increasingly strained
