A high-speed railway between Beijing and Tianjin boosted Tianjin's economic growth at the fastest rate of any mainland city this year, according to a national railway official - who adds that Hong Kong could reap similar rewards if it has the 'attitude and determination' to build its own high-speed link to Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
The line, the official says, was responsible for a third of Tianjin's 16.8 per cent growth in gross domestic product.
Hong Kong officials have also predicted an economic boost from the link to the mainland high-speed network, of which the Tianjin line is part, after the Guangzhou line opens in 2015. But as Hong Kong is much more developed than Tianjin, expecting similar rates of growth is not realistic.
The Ministry of Railways said the Tianjin link, which cut the 120 kilometre journey to Beijing from two hours to 25 minutes, had increased traffic, tourism and investment for both cities, especially Tianjin.
Beijing's GDP growth is projected to reach 10 per cent this year, a breakthrough from the single-digit growth of recent years.
Ministry of Railways spokesman Wang Yongping said 20 million passengers rode on the Beijing-Tianjin link - currently the fastest train on the mainland with a top speed of 350km/h - in its first year of operation. Tianjin saw visitor numbers grow 20 per cent this year, with a 15 per cent increase in service-sector revenues over the first three quarters.