Posted on 02/25/2008 11:08:08 AM PST by outfield
BEIJING -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc., a major buyer of Chinese-made shoes, toys and other goods, expects procurement in China to hold steady this year at about $9 billion despite a rising exchange rate and product safety concerns, the retailing giant's vice chairman Michael Duke said Monday.
"I wouldn't see any major variation" in procurement from the 2007 total of $9 billion, Duke told reporters. "China will continue to be a major production portion of direct purchases by Wal-Mart for a long time."
Duke said relations with the communist government are good despite a high-profile campaign to form unions at Wal-Mart stores and complaints by foreign business groups that Beijing is trying to support Chinese companies by hampering foreign investment in some industries.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Total B.S. Believe what you will. You’re cherry picking and will be surprised when the knock comes at your door. The knock already came at the door of a Catholic priest I know about. Why don’t you promote the forced abortions, also, dude?
The real problem with the buy-American crowd is that they think we can make it all, including the toasters, etc. However, we have limited resources (workers, capital, etc.), including our capacity to make things. We have to make decisions on how we are going to use our resources and what goods and services we are going to make with those limited resources to maximize our national income. As you pointed out, it makes more sense to build the items you stated than toasters because the profit is higher and thus our country will have a higher GNP and standard of living.
Also since according to you they’re in a state of perpetual adoration of the west and the ways of the west why are they arming to destroy us (or try to)? I’m sure your checks in the mail from the Olympics P.R. Department. Go suck bird flu.
I see... Such well reasoned arguments. Let's start with the "forced abortions" canard. Yes, prior to 1989 China did force abortions and sterilization on many. Since then, it's dramatically changed. Now if you have a second child, you are fined; likewise for the 43rd, 4th, or even 5th. The fines are progressive, and your child does not get its Chinese ID assigned until the fine is paid. Meaning no public services - health, education, etc.
And yes, I know several families throughout China that have many children, all under the age of 10. It's not uncommon for young couples - especially where both are well educated and speak English, thus having higher paying jobs - to have two or more children.
I know preachers who have been shut down and imprisoned, too! The reason? House-churches. See, in China a church is treated like any other business. You get a license, you prove you have the place to do business, and you play by the rules. When you try to start operating a church out of your house (vastly exceeding capacities) or take in tithes without reporting the income, you get hammered.
You can practice Christianity openly, but you have to play by the rules established for ALL religions. Bibles aren't collected at the border; heck I've even brought in boxes of pocket NT - I am a Gideon - and fully declared the value and what I intended to do with them.
But if you want to run a trading company, or an engineering firm, or a DVD sales shop, or a church you need to get a license and prove that you have a suitable building/location to do the work you intend to do.
Also since according to you they’re in a state of perpetual adoration of the west and the ways of the west why are they arming to destroy us (or try to)? I’m sure your checks in the mail from the Olympics P.R. Department. Go suck bird flu.
So why does Germany, France, the UK, Canada, Japan, India, and all our other allies continue to build weapons and arm - so they can destroy us?
France - Fu guo. Canada - Jia na da. Japan - Rei bin. America - Mei guo. Mei means beautiful, guo means country. Other countries use historical reference names; only America is called beautiful.
You really don't have any experience with China, do you? Other than hearing fear-mongering rants by the likes of Buchanan and Hunter, what is your basis for your hatred? Because I spend about 1/3rd of my life there, and I live in a very middle-class part of Shanghai. I visit - and work in - the factories. I shop the malls and grocery stores. I ride the subways and buses and trains. China's not like what you're portraying at all.
Hey, want to have some fun and get an eye-opening education? I'm heading back in mid March; there will be at least one other FReeper coming over from the US. Figure it'll run you around $1200 for a week - including airfare. How about seeing what it's really like, learning for yourself? If nothing else, you'll get a couple of the finest hand-tailored suits you've ever owned (for $100 each).
Oh, and don't worry about the bird flu - it's killed about 100 people throughout the world (mostly in Thailand). We lose about 36,000 every year to the regular flu. You have a much greater chance of dying in the US from "common" flu than you do of catching and dying from the bird flu...
Perhaps you should revise your thinking.
Walmart has commercial, that is business relations with Chinese companies that are largely capitalist in nature. They are Chicaps.
You are considering chewing off your nose to spite you face
Wow....either too much public schooling or Chamber of Communists propoganda
It is COMMUNIST CHINA....they are communist. Their government is Communist. If someone wants to engage in “free enterprise” in Commie China....it must appease the Commnist Party.
China is just as communist as it was before....only now they state-subsidize the “free enterprise”
When you purchase Communist Chinese made products...you bankroll communism.
And upon what do you base your claims?
If I can go in, buy a business license, buy a house, purchase equipment, import tools, hire people, invest my own money, and sell products domestically as well as export is that free enterprise or Communism?
What if one country charges me 24% of my profits, and another charges 35%? One country forces me to provide benefits to my employees, and the other let’s be negotiate with my employees for the benefits provided? One country charges me 10% for capital gains, the other charges me 15%? Both free enterprise, or both Communist?
What if I can practice my religion freely in both countries? What if I can criticize the government publicly in both countries? What is I can own firearms in both countries? What if I can buy and sell goods and services freely in both countries? What if I have the right to travel where I want within each country? Which country is Communist?
100% wrong. You may want to read some of the posts before you spout off things that have been proved otherwise.
“When you purchase Communist Chinese made products...you “
What history has proved is that you bring that country out of Communism, as carefully explained in posts above.
No, I'm not kidding.
Yes, China spies on the US. So does Israel. So does the UK. When we catch them, we respond appropriately.
We spy too, on lots of other countries, all without any hostile intent. Spying, in and of itself, is not proof of hostile intent.
They shot down one of their own satellites. OK. So what? Other than showing off technology sold by the Clintons for illegal campaign contributions, what's the big deal? They just want the world to see how advanced they supposedly are. It's status symbol stuff, not a threat.
Have they threatened our satellites? Are they trying to shoot any of them down?
The only thing I see from China so far is that they want Stuff. They want technology and they want money. I have not seen any indication that they are working on world domination, a la the USSR.
I think there's a lot of anti-China paranoia which is simply unsubstantiated speculation.
“What makes the thug government in China better than the thug government in Cuba?”
Probably not much. Our strategy with Cuba has most likely been wrong headed too. If we had free trade with Cuba, it would most likely have dumped Communism a long time ago.
I’ve been reading through both of your comments, and the responses they have generated. The responses they have generated do not surprise me in the least.
You must have missed the memo -— around here WalMart bashing is the norm.
Thanks to both of you for your comments.
PugetSoundSoldier, your insight in regard to business in China has been very eye-opening, and very appreciated. (by me, at least)
Too many people are just plain hard headed on this subject and do not want to admit that they are wrong. They start off with buy-American economic protectionism, and when their logic is shown to be wrong from an economic point of view, they then trump out the old Communism red herring.
It is bad enough that the leftist unions hate Walmart because they won’t unionize and because they are putting the large union grocery chains out of business. What is worse is seeing so called conservatives bash Walmart out of ignorance and plain hard headed misplaced ideas.\
Walmart is as conservative as it gets. We should be hailing Walmart as the best example of free market capitalism and the exact opposite of leftist union retailers.
Thanks. A lot of the FReepers around here simply don’t know what they’re talking about when it comes to China; unfortunately, many “conservative” politicians are just as ignorant. I believe if you want to know about a business/country/family, live inside it for a short time and you’ll learn all you want to know! But it’s much easier to be lazy, point your finger elsewhere and scream “COMMUNIST!”
This next trip over to China, I’ll be attending a traditional Chinese wedding of the cousin of a friend of mine. Traditional Buddhist ceremony, but they’ve asked me if I would pray to “my God” at the ceremony as well. If that’s not reaching out and being open to religions, then I don’t know what is.
“PugetSoundSoldier, your insight in regard to business in China has been very eye-opening, and very appreciated. (by me, at least)”
100% by me too.
Hey, if you two ever want to go to China, let me know! I’m over there enough! It really is an amazing place with wonderful people, great food, unique culture, and of course bargain shopping...:D
That pretty much sums it up in a nutshell. I have been on the receiving end of the anti WalMart sentiments around here for quite a while, so I'm very familiar with the attitude.
I don't particularly like shopping, so when I do have a large list of stuff I need I prefer WalMart because it's one-stop-shopping. I live in a rural area, so WM is a major help, without it I would be using a heck of a lot more gas to get what I need because I would have to go to several different parts of the county.
Thus I boycott Wal Mart.
What is ironic is that the same thing happens when I explain to liberals why their Marxist ideas are not based in reality and shown by history to be wrong. They are so hard headed that they do not want to listen to sound logic. When their logic falls apart, they often resort to red herring arguments, ad hominem, etc. But they believe so strongly (hard headed) in their ideas that they will not admit they are wrong. I do get a kick out of knowing that deep down they know they are wrong. They just won’t admit it and they are going to stick to their liberal ideas regardless of whether they are wrong or not.
In regard to your friends cousin, such a ceremony sounds lovely.
I will openly admit to my ignorance in regard to much about China, however I am willing to learn and try to keep an open mind. Personal insight such as yours is extremely informative.
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