IT now appears that Japanese Shinkansen technology will not be chosen for the proposed new US billion Beijing-Shanghai rail link, the Oriental Morning Post has reported.

　　The report follows news in the Business Post that the real mission of senior Japanese political figures visiting China last month - ostensibly for the 25th anniversary of the signing of the friendship pact between the two countries - was to persuade Chinese authorities to use the Shinkansen technology on the railway.

　　But reports now say the efforts by the Japanese side didn't win receive much response from Chinese authorities.

　　Apart from the big profits to be made on the US billion rail link, the Japanese Government also hoped to promote Japanese technology in China's railway construction projects and hence to influence China in politics.

　　Japan has been slashing loans of Japanese yen in recent years but would have made an exception in China's case if that would have helped Japan win the bid for the Beijing-Shanghai railway.

　　So far, 88,000 people have signed an online petition against using Japanese technology in the rail link. (Star News)