That’s exactly why China is doing that, and why China in the past years bought from SIEMENS the entire IP for TransRapid (the only high speed maglev system that actually shipped in production, and is used daily by many travellers)

I agree -- in fact I'd wager that California is likely to be a laggard in this race. Highway expansion is very slow, causing clogged freeways, and local commutes in populated areas like LA and San Fran are among the worst in the nation. BART is embarrassingly old and dilapidated. The new Bay Bridge was way over schedule and budget (and with serious quality issues)...Given the track record with "traditional" infrastructure, I just don't see California being a leader in this area. Maybe some of the tech will be conceived here, but implementation would be different.

Except this is the whole reason Musk developed the Hyperloop concept. He was annoyed at sitting through California traffic.

Ironically, it is California's crappy traditional infrastructure that birthed Hyperloop.

The idea is to build the first one sooner rather than later. Then everyone who wants it can build it.

Sort of like Bill Gates working with China to get the next generation of nuclear energy developed in China.

https://qz.com/627113/bill-gates-says-china-is-the-best-plac...

Sadly it seems that (broadly speaking) bribery is the only thing holding human achievement back, across our planet.