On 29 May 2006 23:46:59 -0700, "Peter H.M. Brooks"
wrote:


I'm not sure about that. I think that there are some false metaphors
here. The Chinese won't pack the place up and take it back to China
with them. The Chinese don't enjoy foreign parts all that much either -
which is why we don't speak Chinese now.
My experience with Chinese companies in Lesotho, South Africa and
Nigeria has prompted me to be weary of Chinese involvement in Africa.
My impression is that Chinese expatriates doing business in Africa
tend to be very exploitative and highly unethical, and they have no
loyalty towards the country that they are milking. They dodge
taxation, they under/over invoice as it suits them, they are involved
in nefarious activities, they often endanger the lives of their
employees, and they take all profits out of the coutry, leaving it in
a worse position than if the business didn't operate in the first
place.


Having Chinese investment, companies and so forth in the country is
likely only to improve the lot of local people.
Investment for reasonable ROI with reasonable reciprocal agreements
certainly would benefit the country. Investment with the view to
getting as much as possible out of the country in as short a time as
possible, can only be a bad thing.



The important thing, really, is to avoid importing Chinese customs,
like slicing up shop-lifters and using the bits for spare-part surgery.

:-)