During the development of the project, a train on the Beijing-Shanghai route hit a record speed of 486km/h during a test run, which the Xinhua news agency said was the fastest speed recorded by an unmodified conventional commercial train.

This is still a developing country, and there are complaints that the prices are too high. The top price for a ticket from Beijing to Guangzhou is more than 2,000 yuan (€235), which is about the same price as a flight.

via China gets its rail network up to speed – The Irish Times – Mon, Feb 11, 2013.

via China has almost 10,000 kilometers of high speed rail now and 5 times more by 2020 – Forcing China's Airlines to Shift Focus to International Travel.

Financially viable high-speed rail system in China