Mexico cancels Chinese bullet train deal

[Bosonic]

Source: AFP

Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico abruptly withdrew a multi-billion-dollar deal Thursday with a Chinese-led consortium to build the country's first bullet train after concerns were raised about the bidding process.

The government had awarded the $3.75 billion contract to the China Railway Construction Corp. and four Mexican partners on Monday after the group had been the only one to submit a bid.

But President Enrique Pena Nieto scrapped the deal to avoid "any doubts about the legitimacy and transparency" of the bidding process, said Transport Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza.

Ruiz Esparza told the Televisa network that Pena Nieto had taken the decision "moments ago" and that the bidding would start over.

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/mexico-cancels-chinese-bullet-train-construction-deal-054801622--finance.html;_ylt=AwrBEiGuLl1Un0MAA0_QtDMD

[bananas]

1. 6 months for new bids - this could get interesting. nt

[Brother Buzz]

4. Or boring: Bombardier of Canada and Siemens of Germany pulled their first bid and...

Mitsubishi of Japan and Alstom of France refrained from bidding.

What is going to change?

[dembotoz]

5. maybe mexico should ask the companies why the bids were withdrawn

would be interesting if they got an honest answer

[GeorgeGist]

2. Something stinks.

Problem nothing ordinary folks will ever know.

[Dreamer Tatum]

3. In Mexican government procurement? Say it ain't so. nt