I have this thought provoking book called “ You can’t do business with Hitler”, written in 1940 by the American business attache in Berlin. It basically says that you really aren’t dealing with individual companies in a dictatorship, you’re always making a deal with the government. They always come out ahead, and eventually you will lose your investment. So if you want to support Sino expansion in the far east, then do business with China. And make no mistake, at some point the Chinese military will want to use it’s new equipment. We should watch Hong Kong. I foresee China directly ruling Hong Kong soon. And they are really pissed about us selling China/Formosa modern jets. Formosa sees what china’s up to and wants to be ready.
I read it ages ago in high screwl on the advise of my American History teacher. It stuck with me.
All of the investment in China amazed and concerned me. All investment in unstable countries also bothered me. I watched companies like Exxon move into and then out of countries where they did not feel they had the full faith and support of the US gubment behind them and it is why I felt safe in going to work where Exxon would go.
I also have watched other companies go to places where I would not dare. For example, Unocal and their attempts to build a pipeline across Afghanistan while the Russians were still there even trying to do a deal with the Taliban. Greed often overlooks good sense.