China to go ahead with expansion of high-speed rail despite corruption allegations

China plans to expand its high-speed rail despite allegations of  corruption, the Xinhua news agency reported quoting the country's newly appointed railway minister, Sheng Guangzu.

Sheng Guangzu became the railway minister following  former minister Liu Zhijun being forced to stand down, for  allegedly receiving huge bribes when handing out contracts.

The country's railway network is part of a multi-billion dollar investment programme.

President Barack Obama recently lauded Beijing infrastructure projects, in a recent State of the Union speech.

Though analysts like to compare the rapid development of China's transport network to the expansion of the American railway network in the nineteenth century, according to critics, the analysts would find the comparison a source for concern rather than complacence.

They point out that the economic development of the western US was fuelled by its railways and between 1865 and 1873, 28,000 miles of track were laid at an estimated cost of $1.4 billion.