"CSR plans to establish a new manufacturing and maintenance base to serve the needs of Mexico, as well as its neighboring markets if the consortium wins the bid next year."

Wang Mengshu, an academic specialized in rail and infrastructure projects at the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Even though there are competitive rivals, the advantage the Chinese companies, such as CSR Co Ltd, have is that they are able to offer the broad range of services needed to complete the project, he said.

"China is already the world's largest market for new elevators and escalator installations. It will also not be long before it becomes the largest elevator/escalator service market. It is getting closer to the target."

Tony Black, president of Otis Elevator (China) Investment Co Ltd. China is a major battlefield for foreign and domestic elevator firms because of the rapid pace at which tall buildings are being constructed, he said.

"The Internet is changing the way people live in China and the move to online transactions is stimulating consumer spending and in turn creating new jobs."

Simon Lance, regional director of Hays in China, said the global recruitment services provider has reported a boom in Web development jobs in China.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 12/12/2014 page18)