LIGHTENING FAST: The long-anticipated Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway starts a one-month trial operation on May 11 before its formal launch in late June. Travel time between the two cities will be halved to less than five hours (XINHUA)

Rail-Waterway Network

China's Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Railways signed an agreement on May 10 to jointly promote the development of China's combined rail-waterway transportation network.

As a concrete step in the establishment of a fully integrated transportation system, the agreement will increase efficiency, cut costs and contribute to China's efforts to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, said Li Shenglin, Minister of Transport.

The two ministries will increase the construction of needed infrastructure and create supportive policies and regulations for the network, said Wong Mengyong, Vice Minister of Transport.

Wong said the number of shipping containers handled through China's combined rail-waterway transportation network is less than 2 percent of the total amount of containers handled at the country's ports.

Capping Overcapacity

China will review the country's ongoing flat glass production projects and resolutely close substandard projects in an effort to curb overcapacity in the sector, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on May 9.

The country will work to weed out 26 million weight cases of backward capacity in the flat glass sector in 2011. New projects need approval from concerned authorities, said the MIIT.

In 2010, the total production capacity of the country's flat glass industry was 890 million weight cases, but the output of the industry was only 630 million weight cases last year. The capacity utilization rate was only 70 percent, said the MIIT.

Joint Venture

CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Research Institute Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of China's largest rail vehicle maker CSR, signed an agreement with U.S.-based Wabtec Corp., a leading maker of brakes for locomotives and other rail vehicles, to establish a joint venture on May 9.

According to the agreement, the two sides will each hold a 50-percent stake in the new company.

The company will develop braking systems for rail vehicles and provide services including after-sales and renovation support. It will be located in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.

Hi-Tech Expo

The 14th China Beijing International Hi-Tech Expo opened in Beijing on May 18. With the theme of "innovation driving development, science and technology leading transformation," the six-day expo includes exhibitions, forums, summits and trade promotion events.

Emerging strategic industries including new generation information technology, energy saving and environmental protection, new energies, biotechnology, new materials, high-end equipment manufacturing and new energy vehicles were on display.

United Nations Development Program and six other international organizations as well as more than 40 delegations from 20 countries and regions such as the Untied States, Britain, Germany, Denmark, Mexico and South Korea participated.