SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gov. Jerry Brown will be eyeing China's massive high-speed rail system as he tries to lure billions of dollars in investments to California during his trip to the country next week.
Brown said Thursday that the Chinese have approached building their massive high-speed rail system "with exuberance," and he feels equally excited about the prospects for California's proposed $68 billion system even as public support for the project has fallen.
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Brown and the business leaders who are accompanying him on the seven-day trip plan to ride the Chinese system. Brown said he would welcome Chinese investment in California's high-speed rail project, or anything else.
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China's high-speed system spans 5,800 miles but is highly subsidized by the government and does not face the same legal and environmental hurdles. Brown said he was not sure what he could apply from China's approach to his project in California, but he is interested in seeing it.
The chairman of the board of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, Dan Richard, is also accompanying Brown on the trip.
He said building personal relationships and showing government support for projects are crucial when doing business in China. Even so, he said he does not expect to come home with billions of dollars in immediate investments.
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