The fact that the US, as the largest economy in the world, can't construct a single true HSR line is embarrassing. China has some advantages such as a much more fragile idea of private property rights and cheaper labor pool, but this does not come close to accounting for the differences. Geographically, the US is very similar to China, with a highly populated East Coast and lesser populated West Coast. Yet, this has not stopped China from building a comprehensive high speed rail network.