Alstom chief executive Philippe Mellier told the Financial Times that China is also exporting trains with some foreign technology that was supplied on condition that it not be used outside China.

"The (Chinese) market is gradually shutting down to let the Chinese companies prosper," Mellier said.

"We don't think it's a good idea for other countries to open their markets to such a technology because there's no reciprocity any more."

He said tenders for high-speed trains for a new link between Beijing to Shanghai included specifications that they be entirely Chinese-built and designed.

"We're starting to see Chinese companies answering tenders around the world with Chinese freight locomotives, some of them being based on transferred technology," he said.

As China upgrades its railway network and expands metro systems in major cities, it is consolidating its position as one of the world's main markets for rolling stock.

China recently approved a two-trillion-yuan (290-billion-dollar) plan for investments in its railway infrastructure as part of a spending package aimed at lifting growth in the face of the global slowdown.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Great Train Journey's of the 21st Century