TOKYO : Biting the ‘Bullet’

Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama leaves today for a five-day visit to China.

In meetings with President Jiang Zemin and Premier Li Peng, he is expected to ask China to use Japan’s Bullet Line technology to build an 818-mile, high-speed railway between Beijing and Shanghai at a cost of between $8 billion and $10 billion. The railway line, to be finished by 2000, would reduce traveling time from more than 17 hours to about 7 hours.

Last December, Japan agreed to offer China $6.9 billion in low-interest loans. Tokyo hopes China will pick its technology over that of European competitors France and Germany as a gesture of gratitude.