CHINA yesterday said it regretted Mexico’s decision to shelve a US$3.75 billion high-speed rail project and called for the interests of Chinese bidders to be taken into account.

    The National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning agency, said the decision to cancel the Mexico-Queretaro high-speed rail line was regrettable and urged Mexico to “properly deal with the huge manpower and money Chinese enterprises invested in the project bid.” Mexico on Saturday said it would suspend the tender for now, amid cuts to its 2015 budget.

    The government relaunched the tender last month after it scrapped its earlier contract with the sole bidder — a consortium led by China Railway Construction Corp (CRCC) — due to conflict-of-interest concerns about one of the consortium’s Mexican companies.

    CRCC was poised to clinch the relaunched contract, sources said.

    (SD-Agencies)