News: UPDATE 1-China Investment Corp joins rival bidder for Australia's Asciano

(Adds Qube, Asciano quotes, share price)

SYDNEY, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Australian port operator Qube Holdings Ltd (QUB) said the state-owned China Investment Corp [CIC.UL] joined its consortium as it made an A$8.9 billion ($6.25 billion) offer for ports and rail giant Asciano Ltd (AIO).

The A$9.17-per-share cash and shares offer beats a A$9.10 offer from Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc which Asciano has already said it supports.

Qube made an indicative rival offer in November in consortium with Global Infrastructure Management and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Its statement on Thursday confirms that it has made a binding offer with the involvement of a Chinese government co-investor.

While the Brookfield offer would take ownership of the company offshore, Qube is offering its shares as part of the deal so "Asciano shareholders can ... benefit from the upside potentially available from the combination with Qube", it said in the statement.

The statement also set out a plan to split Asciano's busines Qube would have most of the Asciano ports business while its offshore co-investors would own the rail business.

Asciano said in a statement that its board is considering the Qube offer but continues to support the Brookfield offer.

Asciano shares have not traded at or above Brookfield's offer since it first disclosed it in August, amid concern that it would be blocked by the antitrust regulator, and closed at A$8.50 on Wednesday.

($1 = 1.4245 Australian dollars)