"The Chinese military has a new secret weapon: ..." Topic

…Lightning-fast trains.

"On most days, China's high-speed rail network is for hauling millions — yes, millions — of commuters, vacationers, and tourists around the country.

But on May 14, one section of the growing network served a very different purpose. A People's Liberation Army brigade from the Lanzhou military region boarded a high-speed train and set off for Xinjiang — 300 miles to the west.

The exercise was a rapid and clever way to move troops around the huge country, something which Beijing is struggling to handle. China has the largest ground army and the longest land border in the world, which abuts 14 nations … more than any other country except Russia…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Apparently, they are blissfully unaware of how easily airpower can cut rail lines (and/or disgruntled guerrillas, for that matter).

Perhaps they should read up on the months just before the Normandy landings.

Trains can't dodge.

I see it as a signal to give pause to the disaffected within the border. The army will deploy to their region in force within hours if they choose to make trouble. Of course, the army plans can be derailed.

Given the very heavy adoption of counter-air tactics and measures that the Chinese have been steadily adopting since GW2 "blissfully unaware" is, I think, an unlikely state of mind for them. Instead I would think that they are painfully aware of the situations in which rapid rail movement would be effective and those where it would not.

I think the idea would be rapid deployment before things go hot.