Li Guanghe has built some of the most technically complex railroads in China. Now he faces his toughest challenge yet: working abroad to deliver a flagship rail project in Thailand that could make or break China’s hopes of selling high-speed trains abroad. Exporting high-speed rail is one of the ambitious elements of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative, which aims to upgrade trade and transport networks from Africa to the Pacific . But despite throwing its diplomatic weight behind high-speed rail, China has struggled to convince would-be partners to commit to the costly technology. Singapore Express China is planning to link Kunming to Singapore by high-speed rail, with a route that passes through Pang-Asok. After years of stalling, Thailand in November started work on the $5.5 billion first phase of a high-speed railway that Beijing hopes will eventually form part of a China-to-Singapore route—a potentially […]