New | China could be back in frame for stalled Mexico rail project, diplomat says
The suspension of a multibillion-dollar high-speed rail project in Mexico that had been awarded last year to a Chinese-led consortium is only temporary, the country’s top diplomat in Hong Kong said on Thursday.
Consul-General Alicia Buenrostro Massieu said she was sure that Chinese companies would be welcome to submit bids when the project was put back on line.
A consortium led by China Railway Construction Corp (CRCC) had been announced in November as the winning bidder for the US$3.7 billion railway that would link Mexico City with the central city of Queretaro. Days later the contract was revoked amid concerns over a lack of transparency in the bidding process. Last month Mexican authorities reopened the tender, with CRCC again among the companies submitting bids.
However, Mexican Budget Minister Luis Videgaray was quoted saying at a press conference on Friday that the government had decided to suspend the high-speed, 210 kilometre rail project “indefinitely”.
Infrastructure is important for us. China is a very important partner
Buenrostro Massieu said the project had not been cancelled. “It’s a temporary measure taken to be sure that the budget will not have any spill over,” she said after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Hong Kong and Mexico on cooperation in intellectual property.