The Evergreen Group (長榮集團) yesterday expressed shock at its failure to pass security clearance in bidding to build a Mumbai container port, but said it will try to clear up the misunderstanding.
"Evergreen is so confused and surprised about the current result announced by Mumbai Port Trust," Evergreen said in a statement, adding it passed security clearance when it bid for operating a terminal near Nhave Sheva, India, last year.
"As a global carrier, Evergreen has been invited and taken part in many port investment projects all over the world and has never failed to win security clearance in any other country," Evergreen said in the statement.
Evergreen -- one of 11 firms bidding to build and then operate a US$270 million offshore terminal in Mumbai -- said it will talk with Indian authorities for a clarification.
It was barred for national security concerns along with Hutchison Port Holdings (和記黃埔港口集團) of Hong Kong, a Chinese-language newspaper reported yesterday.
The report said that barring the companies "underscores Indian intelligence authorities' deep anxieties over what they regard as the creeping presence in India of entities controlled by, or linked to, China."
Evergreen, with about 150 container ships, is the world's second-largest container shipping company after Denmark's Maersk-Sealand.
It has built container terminals in Taiwan as well as in Panama, Italy and China.
RSS