Li urges fairness as Mexico scraps rail contract

Premier Li Keqiang urged Mexico to treat Chinese companies fairly on Tuesday, after the Latin American government scrapped a $3.75 billion high-speed rail contract previously signed with a Chinese-led consortium.

During a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Beijing on Tuesday, Li said that China regrets the revocation of the contract, but considering the positive attitude showed by Mexico, Beijing will continue to encourage Chinese companies to take part in infrastructure construction in the country.

Pena Nieto said Mexico is working to solve current difficulties and protect the rights of Chinese companies.

He said Mexico attaches great significance to cooperation with China on rail construction, and Mexico welcomes the future participation of Chinese companies in the construction of Mexico's high-speed rail lines.

Li said China hopes concrete results will come as soon as possible, since the project is beneficial to both sides. And he said the bidding process for the project had been legitimate.

"China's high-speed railway technologies are safe, reliable and economically competitive," he said.

Mexico withdrew a multibillion-dollar contract that it had awarded to a Chinese-led consortium, comprising China Railway Construction Corp and several Mexican construction firms, to build the country's first bullet train.

The project involves building a 210-kilometer high-speed line connecting Mexico City, the capital, with Queretaro, a growing northern industrial hub, by 2017.

CRCC said earlier on Tuesday that the company will take part in the second round of bidding, although it is also considering legal means to settle the issue.

zhaoyinan@chinadaily.com.cn