Chinese firms may be barred from port race

Subodh Ghildiyal

[ 20 Jul, 2006 0219hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

NEW DELHI: With an all-round warning that the presence of companies with Chinese links in the development of ports will seriously compromise Indian maritime security, the Union government is likely to disallow Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) from bidding for projects in Mumbai and Chennai ports, and a Chinese company-led consortium in Kerala.

HPH had bid for BOT projects for an offshore container terminal in Mumbai port and a second container terminal in Chennai port.

A consortium of Chinese companies - Kaidi Electric Power Company and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) - had expressed the desire for the deepwater international container trans-shipment terminal in Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram.

It was a unanimous thumbs down for these bidders as Intelligence Bureau, the RAW and the defence ministry said that it would let China an entry in the Indian Ocean with serious consequences for national security.

Full Story...

Posted by pichu at July 20, 2006 5:34 PM