A320 AND CARJ AVOID GND COLLISION WHEN TAXI CLRNC IS MISUNDERSTOOD.

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LANDED UNEVENTFULLY RWY 26L IAH. NO GATE ASSIGNED. CLRED THE RWY TXWY NF AND CONTACTED GND ON 121.7 AND HELD SHORT OF TXWY NA. GND REQUESTED GATE ASSIGNMENT; WE REPLIED WE WOULD CONTACT COMPANY. INSTRUCTED TO TAXI NA AND HOLD SHORT OF NR AND CONTACT GND 118.57. FO CONTACTED COMPANY AND WAS TOLD GATE X; WHICH WE RELAYED TO GND. FO WAS CONTACTED BY COMPANY WANTING TO KNOW IF WE RECEIVED AIRBORNE ACARS MESSAGE ABOUT THE GATE. GND INSTRUCTED ME TO 'TAXI NR IN FRONT OF A B777 AND BEHIND THE RJ AND CONTACT RAMP.' I SAW THE B777 AND AN RJ NEAR THE RAMP ON TXWY WB AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI ON NR. I WAS PASSING IN FRONT OF THE B777 AND NEARING NC WHEN THE FO SHOUTED 'LOOK OUT...STOP.' I ABRUPTLY STOPPED THE ACFT AND OBSERVED AN RJ ALSO STOPPING. GND XMITTED 'YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GIVE WAY TO THE RJ.' THE RJ PASSED IN FRONT WITH NORMAL CLRNC AND WE TAXIED TO THE RAMP WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. I WAS TAXIING APPROX 8 KTS WHEN I STOPPED. THE FO ESTIMATED THE RJ WAS TAXIING AT 25-30 KTS. I SIMPLY DID NOT SEE THE RJ ON NC. WHETHER HE WAS BLOCKED BEHIND THE WINDSCREEN PILLAR OR BEHIND THE B777 I DID NOT SEE HIM UNTIL THE FO YELLED STOP.