Delhi-Chennai high-speed rail project could be a game changer for China.

Having lost a contract in Mexico that was supposedly in the bag, China is keeping its fingers crossed on a possible bullet-train deal with India along the 1,754-km Delhi-Chennai corridor.

A commentary that appeared recently in the Global Times, affiliated to the Chinese Communist Party, expressed apprehension that the Sino-Indian partnership in the high-speed rail domain 'has not yet been well-received by the Indian public'.

Besides, it observed that 'Japan, which is also eyeing the market and has pledged to offer a more attractive funding scheme, is a serious rival in the sector'.

The daily did express hope that the first rail project after President Xi Jinping's September visit to India, if it materialises, could become a game-changer, yielding 'untold dividends for both sides'.

HBL