require a visa). That same year, Chinese diplomatic offices in Mexico issued over 35,000 visas to Mexican citizens. Trade China has attempted to expand its investment and trade in Mexico in recent years, similar to China's moves elsewhere in Latin America and Africa. China was set to construct a $200 million, 1,400-acre mega-mall, Dragon Mart, near the beach resort of Cancún. The mall would have been not only a major emporium of Chinese goods, but also a gateway for Chinese goods elsewhere in the hemisphere. Mexican environmentalists have opposed the project on the grounds of environmental degradation of sensitive wetlands. The city of Cancún initially turned down the permit for the Chinese to build, but they appealed to the state of Quintana Roo and the federal government, which granted the permit. The government of Enrique Peña Nieto reversed that decision in January 2015. Mexico's environmental protection agency's head, Guillermo Haro, has cancelled the contract and imposed a fine of $1.5 million for damage already done. The mega-mall was likened to a permanent trade show, with booths for 3,000 exhibitors. Mexican industrialists were pleased with the government's decision because the mega-mall was expected to flood the Mexican market with Chinese goods. Environmentalists hailed the decision as a victory and a precedent for evaluating future projects. In November 2014, the Mexican government cancelled a contract for China to build a bullet train in Mexico. One of the successful bidders on that contract sold a mansion to the wife of the president on favorable terms. The award was rescinded and a new bidding was to take place in 2015, but the government has "indefinitely suspended" the project. In 2018, two-way trade between both nations amounted to US$90 billion. China is Mexico's fourth biggest export market in 2014 and second biggest import trading partner. Mexico's exports to China amount to US$5 billion each year while Mexico's imports from China amount to US$66 billion with a difference of US$61 billion in China's favor. Several Chinese multinational companies operate in Mexico such as Hisense, Huawei, JAC Motors, Lenovo and ZTE. At the same time, several Mexican multinational companies operate in China such as Gruma, Grupo Bimbo, Nemak and Softtek. Resident diplomatic missions China has an embassy in Mexico City and a consulate-general in Tijuana. Mexico has an embassy in Beijing and consulates-general in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Academic connections The National Autonomous University of Mexico