Summary

Chapter 16 begins by describing the Chinese rail system and its impressive growth over the past decade. What had once been an inefficient and widely derided system, now boasted a significantly expanded network, massive modern stations, and impressive high speed trains. This growth, driven by billions of dollars of government investment, was coordinated by the mammoth Railway Ministry, led by Minister Liu Zhijun.

The chapter quickly turns to a tragic crash in 2011, in which the famed Harmony Express high speed train collided with another train as a result of faulty signalling equipment, resulting in the deaths of 40 passengers. The government attempted to suppress news coverage of the crash, but the event and several missteps in the succeeding investigation triggered anger throughout the country. It became clear that the crash was a result of a rushed construction process. The Railway Ministry, determined to meet its...