[Natural Law]

The British textile manufacturers once believed that if they could add 1/4 inch to each China man's hem their mills would run nonstop forever. The lure of the market size blinds western business men, their lack of ethics opens their eyes. The sooner Gates and his ilk realize that China will say, do or promise anything to get what they want the sooner we will be able to deal on our terms.

[maui_hawaii]

Trade wise history is repeating itself to some extent...The feelings are the same, except we aren't selling opium....

[John Locke]

There are quite a few people and companies here in Singapore with an eye on the Chinese market. The Singapore government wasted a few hundred million in a boondoggle called Suzhou.

Sometimes they ask me what I think. My answer - "The only way to make money out of China is to sell opium".

Doesn't make me popular. But so far I've been proven right.

[Bush2000]

The sooner Gates and his ilk realize that China will say, do or promise anything to get what they want the sooner we will be able to deal on our terms.

Agreed. China is baiting foreign companies with the lure of its huge potential market. But, when push comes to shove, China would never tolerate western businesses monopolizing significant portions of its economy. China will continue to extort as many dollars and jobs as it can from western companies; then, mark my words, China will screw them over royally when they're no longer of any use.