I doubt that the Chinese news source, People's Daily, is isolationist and it had a story about more ventures between PSA and COSCO.
That story is dated Jan. 8, 2004. It talked about POSSIBLE ventures. Just because China wanted to form a world-wide alliance with Singapore doesn't mean that it happened.
It makes perfect sense for shipping companies to be interested in controlling terminals.
And, since this is the information age, no one needs a crystal ball to see that this is what the Chinese government is attempting to accomplish through the business dealings and partnerships of its government shipping company COSCO.
One only needs to 1) read their web pages and other business news pages and 2) apply good old common sense.
COSCO's plans, mergers, pending deals, (and even their failures) all point in one direction--they want to get into the port/terminal business
COSCO'S failures to get some mouthwatering deals don't mean COSCO wasn't interested in managing prime locations along coasts. Clinton's failure to give COSCO a lease on the old Navy Base in Long Beach, CA, doesn't mean the Chinese government wasn't interest in getting their hands on it. The fact that their deal to get a Greek port isn't finalized, doesn't mean they don't want the port.
. The grandstanding folks in Congress, who are so concerned about port safety, didn't need a crystal ball to see that the UAE was interested in buying P&O either. If they are all that stupid, especially the folks on the Homeland Security-related committees, they don't deserve to represent us.