China's ambassador to South Africa, Zhong Jianhua [Maverick Chen / China.org.cn]

China's ambassador to South Africa, Zhong Jianhua, on Aug. 10 denied recent rumors claiming that China was mulling over plans to build a high-speed railway to connect Johannesburg and Durban.

Zhong said that the embassy was not aware of any such plans nor would it approve of one. He said this was because " high-speed railways are not a necessity in Africa."

Despite being the richest country on the continent, South Africa only has a population of 50 million, making the demand for a high-speed railway rather small.

Zhong said China's high-speed railway may have its political implications, but a recent fatal accident in east China's Zhejiang Province in which 33 people were killed also revealed its technical immaturity.

"Besides safety issues, most African countries cannot afford a high-speed railway. It will be a great financial burden to them," Zhong said.

High-speed railway in Taiwan is in debt, and in Japan's bullet trains struggle to turn a profit, Zhong said. He did not discuss the financial status of Chinese high-speed railway, but alluded to its low occupancy.