For the construction of a four-billion-euro maglev rail link
between the cities of Shanghai and Hangzhou in east China agreement
has been reached on technology transfer and other key issues
relating to the project between China and Germany, a well-informed
Chinese official said?in Beijing?Monday.
Wu Xiangming, director of the China national maglev
transportation technology research center, told the fourth
China-Germany High-Technology Dialog Forum the two sides had agreed
on the operating model of the project, the division of general
responsibilities, technology transfer and the delivery of
electromechanical equipment.
The German company, Siemens, had agreed to transfer technologies
to its joint ventures in China for the manufacture of the power
supply and operational control systems, he said. Another German
supplier, Krupp, would also transfer technology for the production
of the body of the train, railroad switches and other systems, he
added.
Wu explained that the overall scheme for the Shanghai-Hangzhou
maglev line and technological system specifications had already
been worked out.
The line was formally approved by the Chinese government in
March this year and is expected to be operational by 2010. It'll be
approximately 200 kilometers in length and is designed to allow
trains to travel at speeds of up to 450 kilometers per hour.
Wu said he hoped that industries in the two countries would
forge long-term partnerships after their cooperation on the
construction of the experimental maglev line.?
Based on the principle of sharing both risks and benefits the
two countries should base their cooperation on fairness and work
together to promote the development and application of maglev
technologies in the world, said Wu.?
(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2006)