中國鐵路國際（美國）有限公司相關人士日前稱，中美合作的首個總投資額達127億美元的高鐵建設項目或將“流產”。在洛杉磯至拉斯維加斯高鐵項目即將動工（9月）前夕，美方公司單方面宣布毀約是草率和不負責任的。

據《洛杉磯時報》近日報道，美國西部快線公司6月9日單方面宣布正式終止與中國鐵路國際（美國）有限公司的合作，並將繼續尋找其他合作夥伴和合作方式建設這一項目。西部快線首席執行官托尼•馬奈爾在聲明中表示，這個項目的最大阻力來自美國聯邦政府規定，即高鐵列車必須在美國製造。在聲明中，托尼•馬奈爾敦促政府採取更加靈活和實現的方式支持高鐵項目的建設。

計劃運行在洛杉磯至拉斯維加斯之間的美國西部快線公司高鐵。照片：美聯社。

根據《2009年美國復蘇與再投資法案》第1605條，“涉及航空、鐵路和公路等運輸項目所使用的建築材料和運營設備，必須由美國國內生產製造，少數特例除外”。但眾所周知，美國並不生產製造高速列車，因此這一被稱為“購買美國貨”的條款成為阻礙美國高鐵發展的重要原因之一。

美國在基礎設施建設方面有着極為詳盡的政府法規和地方法規，它一方面切實保護了美國的各項利益，另一方面也制約着美國基礎建設的發展。托尼•馬奈爾表示，我們真正的疑問是，華盛頓的決策者們是高瞻遠矚地支持高鐵項目，還是要讓美國的基礎設施工程依賴外國政府的資助？

其實，美國總統奧巴馬非常重視美國的基礎設施建設。在第一個任期中，奧巴馬政府先後投入了105億美元發展鐵路系統。早在2011年1月25日，奧巴馬發表國情咨文時，他就多次強調重建美國基礎設施的重要性和舉措。“我們自己的工程師給美國基礎設施評分時，他們給出的成績是D。”奧巴馬強調，要想贏得未來，必須重建美國。“我們將讓更多美國人從事修理道路和橋樑等工作。我們將確保這方面的工作有充分的經費支持。為此，我們將設法吸引私人投資。”“中國正在建設比美國更快的鐵路和更新的機場，美國應把中國當作榜樣。未來25年要讓80%的美國人獲得高速鐵路的覆蓋……”奧巴馬的講話，打開了中美雙方在高鐵等多領域深入合作的廣闊空間。

然而，五年後的今天，中美高鐵項目合作卻遭遇美方的“緊急制動”。對此中國鐵路總公司負責人表示，美國西部快線公司單方發佈終止項目合作的消息，違反有關協議，我們表示反對，已依法進行交涉。中國鐵路國際（美國）有限公司總經理說，6月2日中美雙方還在進行工作會談，9日美方突如其來的單方面舉措令人詫異，更不合常理。

對此業內人士分析，中國和美國有高鐵和地鐵等基礎建設項目合作，從高鐵項目遭遇突變情況看，其間有着美國方面的政治考量。阻礙美國高鐵發展的真正原因是美國內部的政治分歧，一方面來自民主黨和共和黨之間，另一方面來自聯邦政府和州政府之間。

這似乎預示着，西部快線在同下一個合作夥伴開展合作之前，應當先進行遊說政府的工作。但有時美國人寧願無所作為，也不願放棄“制衡政治”。命途多舛的美國高鐵正說明了這一點。在政治掣肘下，單純的商業目標註定難以為繼。

將來，西部快線公司將尋找怎樣的合作夥伴以及以何種方式合作繼續建設這一項目？由西部快線“急轉彎”而引發的“高鐵變局”令世人關注。

Sources with China Railway International USA Co. Ltd. disclosed the other day that the first high-speed rail joint venture by Chinese and American companies, with an overall investment of $12.7 billion, may be aborted. It is rash and irresponsible for the American side to unilaterally break the contract shortly before construction work begins for the Los Angeles- Las Vegas high-speed rail.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the US company XpressWest unilaterally announced on June 9 it is formally terminating cooperation with CRI, and would continue seeking other partners and forms of partnership for the project. XpressWest CEO Tony Marnell revealed in the announcement that the biggest impediment to the project was the US federal government rule that high-speed trains must be made in the US. He urged the government to take more flexible and realistic approaches to support construction of high-speed railways.

The proposed high-speed XpressWest train, which would run between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Photo: AP

According to Clause (a), Sect. 1605 of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, “None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in the project are produced in the United States”. But as everybody knows, the US doesn't make high-speed trains. This “buy American” clause has thus become one of the main obstacles to high-speed railway development in the US.

The US has extremely detailed federal and local government regulations on infrastructure construction, which have on one hand truly protected various American interests, on the other hand restrained infrastructure development in the US. Marnell said the real doubt was whether decision-makers in Washington could support high-speed rail development from a strategic perspective, and whether they will let American infrastructure construction rely on foreign government financing.

In fact, US President Barack Obama has placed much emphasis on US infrastructure construction. The Obama administration put $10.5 billion in developing railway system during his first term of office. In his 2011 State of the Union address, Obama reiterated the significance of rebuilding American infrastructures at multiple points. “When our own engineers graded our nation's infrastructure, they gave us a “D”, said Obama. He emphasized that the US needs to be rebuilt to win the future. “We will put more Americans to work repairing crumbling roads and bridges. We will make sure this is fully paid for, attract private investment,” he vowed. “China is building faster trains and newer airports…We have to do better.“Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80% of Americans access to high-speed rail,” he promised. Obama's remarks opened up broad prospects for in-depth China-US collaboration in such fields as high-speed rail.

Five years later, however, the American side has pulled the emergency brake on the China-US high-speed rail program. CRI officials have protested, saying XpressWest violated relevant agreements by unilaterally announcing termination of cooperation, and are dealing with the matter in accordance with law. CRI's general manager disclosed the two parties were in working-level talks on June 2, the abrupt unilateral announcement on June 9 was thus surprising and illogical.

Industry insiders suspect there may be political calculations on the part of the American side behind the sudden change in the high-speed rail project. The true obstruction to American high-speed rail development is domestic political divergences in the US, both between the Democratic and Republican parties, and between federal and local governments.

This seems to indicate XpressWest should first lobby the government before engaging in collaboration with any future partner. But sometimes Americans would rather do nothing than abandoning the “politics of containment”. The ill-fated American high-speed rail is a case in point. Pure and simple business goals are destined to be unachievable in the whirl of politics.

Next up, what partner will XpressWest find, in what manner will they cooperate and continue the project? The high-speed rail drama that resulted from XpressWest's abrupt turn has aroused global attention.