That such a long haul makes economic sense for Japanese shippers suggests something is badly wrong with the railway.

ECONOMIST: Sorry for this delay of 100 years

Such optical-electronic-optical conversions are expensive, which is why optical transmission has made economic sense only for long-haul carriers.

FORBES: Hooked on Photonics

Although a powerful military could not be sustained over the long haul without a prosperous economic base, it has been unusual, until recently in the case of China, to describe a country's power in terms of its economic output or its dominance of key industrial or trade sectors.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy