【博闻社】“没有中国铁路国际（中铁国际）的协助， 美国西部快线公司仍将继续开发建造内华达至加利福尼亚州际高速客运铁路系统。”北京时间6月9日，美国西部快线公司（XpressWest）正式宣布终止与中铁国际为建造美国高速客运铁路而组建合资公司的一切活动。这个在去年习近平访美期间被当做中美合作重大成果之一的项目，不到九个月即如此黯然收场，令外界哑然失色。
去年九月习近平访美前，中方就高调宣布中国将“进军美国高铁”，习近平访美后，中方宣布近百项“成果”中，中国参与美国修建西部快线高铁，曾经赫然在列，且被当成“重大项目”加以宣传报道。但是当时博闻社就披露，该项目实际上是一个“烂尾”项目，多年以前就有民间团体把它当成“集资”工具，而且项目在当地受到很多因素反对。
博闻社当时就判断，美国西部快线项目，很可能会成为好大喜功的中共为了给习近平访美贴金、“用后即废”的假面具。现在西部快线公司的声明，证实了博闻社的判断。
西部快线示意图
路透社报道指，美国私营公司西部快线曾提议建立拉斯维加斯至洛杉矶的高铁，与中国公司共同对外宣布合作后，不到九个月的期间，中止与中国方面的合作，而理由是合作伙伴（中国）的“延误”。
西部快线的声明指出，决定中止与中国合作的原因主要是中国方面未能“及时履行”相关进度，且中国铁路国际公司（CRI）于“获取所需权限，以继续进行相关开发活动”上遇到挑战。
西部快线由拉斯维加斯开发商Marnell公司所创，并于去（2015）年9月习近平访问美国期间，与中国铁路国际签署协议，组合资公司建设拉斯维加斯至洛杉矶高铁。两方初始投资1亿美金，原订今年9月开工，曾有分析师估计造成的营收将高达价值50亿。
中国高铁走向世界处处空炮
中国高铁走向世界处处空炮
路透社认为，西部快线公司上述声明对中国而言，无非是“打脸”，因中国于不到十年的时间已建成世界上最大的高速铁路网，而外界亦视中国与西部快线的合作，是中国于美国新兴的高速铁路市场的“立足点”，且中方更可借此对外展示相关技术。
西部快线首席执行长Tony Marnell于声明中表示，西部快线的野心已超越中国铁路国际公司推进项目的及时性及效力。而由于中国正在放端午连假，故中国铁路国际公司并未回复任何电话、传真及电子邮件。
对于美方作法，新华社援引一名负责该合资项目的中国铁路国际公司经理表示，指“这样的声明非常突然，”非常不负责任。同时他也表示，美方单方面发出声明，明显违反合作框架协议，即未经一方同意，另一方不应公布相关的讯息。
西部快线公司的声明指，自2015年9月起，美国西部快线公司就与中铁国际公司开始着手组建合资公司，以便继续推进已由美国西部快线公司基本完成前期开发的高铁项目。
中国高铁“美国梦”破灭
中国高铁“美国梦”破灭
美国西部快线称，公司竭尽所能，择选了中铁国际公司来帮助开发、融资、建设并准备运营连接内华达州拉斯维加斯市与加利福尼亚州洛杉矶市的西部快线高铁项目（即“西南铁路网”），并通过在内华达州拉斯维加斯、加州胜利谷和帕姆代尔等地设立站点，向整个洛杉矶地区提供高速客运服务。
声明指，终止与中方合作关系的决定，主要是基于中铁国际公司不能及时履行其相关义务所处困境以及在推进项目过程中中方无法获取必要授权所面临的挑战等原因。
诡异的是，与中方关系密切的台湾一些媒体在报道事件时，竟将原因说成是“受制于美国法规限制，建设前路难行，Xpress West 9日宣布终止合作”。又引《华尔街日报》报导指，Xpress West首席执行长Tony Marnell在声明中指出，美国政府规定高速列车必须在美国制造。
Business | Thu Jun 9, 2016 6:14am EDT
XpressWest, seeking to build U.S. high-speed rail, ends deal with China group
By Robin Respaut
XpressWest, the private U.S. firm proposing to build a high-speed rail link between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, terminated a joint venture with Chinese companies less than nine months after the deal was announced, citing delays faced by its partner.
Las Vegas-based XpressWest said the decision to end the relationship stemmed from problems with "timely performance" and challenges that the Chinese companies, grouped under a consortium called China Railway International (CRI), faced "obtaining required authority to proceed with required development activities".
XpressWest was started by Las Vegas developer Marnell Companies. It formed the venture with the Chinese consortium in September, infusing $100 million into the project. XpressWest had expected to break ground as soon as this year on the project, which one analyst estimated to be worth $5 billion.
The announcement is a blow to China, which has built the world's largest high-speed rail network in less than a decade. The XpressWest project was seen as a foothold into a burgeoning U.S. high-speed rail market and an opportunity to showcase China's technology.
China's CRRC Corp (601766.SS) (1766.HK), the world's biggest train maker by revenue, joined the consortium in September.
XpressWest chief executive Tony Marnell said in a statement that his company's "ambitions outpace CRI's ability to move the project forward timely and efficiently".
Calls, emails and a fax to the Chinese group seeking comment were not answered during a public holiday in China.
But China's official Xinhua news agency cited an unnamed manager at CRI as saying XpressWest was "irresponsible" to make such a statement while its talks with CRI were still going on.
The "unilateral" announcement also violated the cooperation framework agreement signed by the two sides, which stipulates that one side should not release related information without approval by the other, Xinhua mentioned the executive as saying. It said the executive was "responsible" for the joint venture.
MAIN HURDLE
XpressWest said it will now aggressively pursue other development partnerships and options.
The biggest challenge has been a federal funding requirement that high-speed trains be manufactured in the United States, even though no such trains are produced in the country, Marnell said.
"This inflexible requirement has been a fundamental barrier to financing high-speed rail in our country," Marnell said. "Is our leadership going to force projects throughout the United States to seek financial support for infrastructure in our country from foreign governments?"
XpressWest said it was anticipating the completion of environment work to develop the Southern California portion of the rail line, with environmental approvals expected by September.
XpressWest is one of at least three privately financed high-speed trains proposed to be built in the United States over the next few years. Companies in Texas and Minnesota also plan to tap private cash from investors globally, with help from foreign train makers and governments eager to export train technology.
The projects rely primarily on partnerships with Japanese or Chinese firms that face saturated train markets at home.
(Reporting by Robin Respaut in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Brenda Goh in Shanghai and Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Leslie Adler and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
选择“Disable on www.wenxuecity.com”
选择“don't run on pages on this domain”
