CHINA INC AND IT'S ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE WORLD

juanalejo says on Oct 13, 2005, 05:59:

Euro The Euro is in the toilet? I thought the Euro had started its life at par with the US Dollar and today is at 1.19 per 1 US Dollar. It might have fallen a little bit from the all time high, but far from its original starting point.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Oct 13, 2005, 06:28:

this is all All this about China becoming top dog is a bunch of hot air until they float their currency like every other major player. It's easy to grow exports when you're artificially underpricing the goods.

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Neonovo says on Oct 13, 2005, 10:32:

PBS's Nova exposed the conspiracy between.... China and Walmart to take over the universe. Did anyone catch it? China is buying all kinds of raw material and waste products (paper & metal), and returning finished goods.

The amounts are astronomical. And it is snowballing...

Paz
Neonovo

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Miguel says on Oct 13, 2005, 10:36:

And has anyone noticed The fact that more Colombian kids are studying Chinese at an incredible rate???

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Mr. Hollywood says on Oct 13, 2005, 11:18:

Miguel? Miguel, is that a joke? If not, where are they studying?

A friend of mine tried to find Mandarin classes in Bogotá and struck out entirely. Which isn't surprising, given that the only Chinese I've ever seen here are at the Chinese embassy.

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ARMacleod says on Oct 13, 2005, 16:04:

But look at the goods. I personally now check carefully to see where the goods originate before I purchase them.

In the local supermarket I have in the past bought ‘stainless' steel items at a fairly good price, so far so good. These were toiletry items like soap dispensers, toilet brush holders , etc. They have all been returned and accepted, they were all pitted and showed signs of rust?

Learning from that I have checked many other items very carefully, I have spoken with others and have come to the decision that I will not purchase anything at all that is ‘Made in China' it is a very poor standard.

There is also a loyalty thing here. We are doing our own workers out of a job. Yes I know that it is a short sighted view, etc. We get an average of about £8. Per hour. They get the equivalent of £ 0.50. SO! It costs £8. Per hour to live here. It costs £ 0.50. To live in China.

Do not get me wrong, I lived in China for 6 months, I love the Chinese people, I will return there before long for a holiday. We all support our country in the sporting events, football etc. We tend to forget the more important things.


My stated facts, although interesting at times, are generally irrevelant.

The brain is like a parachute, it only functions correctly when it is open. Pax vobiscum.

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kernow62 says on Oct 13, 2005, 19:26:

I agree ARM, but look how many people won't shell out the needed funds for quality kit. I always try to buy, goods of superior quality without worrying about their country of origin.

A quick look around the house:

Hi-fi: amplifier made in USA, pre-amp made in USA, phono pre-amp made in England, CD player made in Scotland, turntable made in England, cartridge made in Germany, speakers made in USA, speaker cables made in England, TV made in USA (well actually only assembled in USA), hi-fi rack made in Canada!

Kitchen: knives made in Germany, toaster made in England, kettle made in Germany, glasses made in France, plates made in Mexico and Turkey, cutlery made in China (oops how did that get in there), pans made in USA, mouli made in France, mandoline made in France, caserole made in France, major appliances Germany or USA.

Furniture, made in Italy (majority), Turkey, USA, Denmark, & Bulgaria (hey where did that come from), lighting from Argentina, misc ornaments mostly from Europe.

Garage: Tools all German, or USA, except for my old Whitwoth spanners (remember them?)

Even though the majority of my major purchases aren't from China it is not because I am being patriotic, it is just the majority of their goods aren't well-made yet. That is changing, I have seen some very high quality audio gear that is coming out of China but they have a few years yet to go and the designs still mostly come from European or American engineers.

You have to pay more, a lot more for good quality though.

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Rubiazo says on Oct 13, 2005, 20:22:

With professional music gear it is usually the opposite. DONT give me an American made keyboard, however good they sound. I know the power supply can go at any time. As a matter of fact I've never owned a piece of American made gear where I didn't have to replace the power supply! I have Japanese made stuff that still works fine after years of touring and abuse.
The one exception seems to be speakers. Most of the best and most reliable of them are still made in the US, or sometimes the UK (Laney, Turbosound).
As for computers, I would prefer Asus motherboards for reliability over any other (Taiwan.) The best monitors are made by LG (Korea, they make ALL Apple monitors). LG also makes very high quality air conditioners, TV's etc. As far as laptops, I would choose Toshiba. The computer I had that died in Colombia and had to be sold for spare parts was a Gateway BTW (USA).
For cars, in my mind there is no question the Germans make the best (BMW, Volks, Mercedes). You couldnt give me a Ford or a Chevy for free! A lot of the Japanese auto makers have been slipping a lot in recent years too.
I really can't think of anything high quality that comes out of China, this is true, but there are precious little things of high quality that come out of the USA these days either!!
For furniture, I imagine Colombia could be a good place to buy high quality hand-crafted stuff for cheap. Dunno if the shipping costs would make it worth it to have it up here though.

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Fernardo Metierrez says on Oct 13, 2005, 20:24:

I think everyone is just jealous because they work for less money, and working for less money makes merchandise more competitive and more competitive merchandise means more business.

In the western world people want
20$ per hour
plus social security,
plus medical insurance
plus pension scheme
plus 30 days holidays
plus christmas gratification
plus plus...

No wonder noone is competitive there.

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juanalejo says on Oct 13, 2005, 20:36:

Mr. H. Universidad de Los Andes, Universidad Javeriana, Colegio San Carlos, Colegio Anglo Colombiano, Colegio San Bartolome at least the ones I know that teach Mandarin. My business partner studies at a Chinese institute, if your friend needs information let me know I can get you some of the places that teach Mandarin around here. I just know because also it seems many of my friends are studying Mandarin.

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Fernardo Metierrez says on Oct 13, 2005, 20:50:

你们还�懂�语�?

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kernow62 says on Oct 13, 2005, 20:58:

Rubi go to any of the top studios, at least the ones that record classical music and you will usually find the main monitors are from the UK. My buddy who plays guitar swears by Marshall amps for live.

I don't know about pro-sound, except some of the Bryston stuff with a 25 year warranty and old Hafler gear that was bulletproof. I know top range home audio and the Japanese whilst making some very good gear it is the top of the line stuff, such as Audio Note phono cartridges for $22,000. Most Japanese audiophiles seek out old Tannoy 15" concentric drivers and old American valve gear Marantz, Harman Kardon, even some Heathkit. The well-heeled spring for Linn and Naim suff from the UK or even Meridian also from the UK.

Sony purchased seven turntables to archive material where the master tapes have been lost, were they Japanese? Nope, good old made in USA $77,000 Rockport Technologies decks were chosen.
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/sirius.jpg

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Rubiazo says on Oct 13, 2005, 23:42:

like i said speakers are an exception. To me the best near fields are Meyers.
Brystons are Canadian. They are pretty solid but just don't put out in the low end.
But also note: the best shit was all made 30 years ago! or in some cases even more! In many cases, we are seeking out German microphones made when Hitler was still alive! So that is hardly indicative of what is coming out of factories TODAY.

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ARMacleod says on Oct 14, 2005, 03:09:

Fernardo Would you have us all regress back to Dickensian times?

Perhaps we should all denote 75% of our wages and benefits to the underprivileged in those places. Then we would be on an even footing. Then they would rush out and buy our goods???

The only way that we can help those who are less fortunate than ourselves is to help them. Not by sending cash and purchasing shoddy goods, that has been going on in Africa and they have not progressed at all, in fact they have gone downhill even more since the aid to them has increased. And I mean ALL of Africa.

It is the political will in a country that has to change. Again I will state: Look at those countries who have a free society, who have democratically elected leaders and where there are those systems in place which you seem to decry, i.e. Social security etc.

If the will of the governments were to change in a way that encourages capitalism and spreads the wealth mote fairly we will have a world of more equality as is being ‘tried' in the EEC.

There is one other way, but it does not always work. Mr Castro, De Gaulle, and similar so called ‘beneficial dictators' those who are so introverted that they do not see beyond their own political ideals or beyond the borders of their own country.

Look at the USA, UK, Germany, France, and now Spain, Portugal etc.

Who has got it right? We cannot help those other poorer nations by destroying ourselves.

Live in peace, and also, give a piece to others.



My stated facts, although interesting at times, are generally irrevelant.

The brain is like a parachute, it only functions correctly when it is open. Pax vobiscum.

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ARMacleod says on Oct 14, 2005, 03:09:

Fernardo Would you have us all regress back to Dickensian times?

Perhaps we should all denote 75% of our wages and benefits to the underprivileged in those places. Then we would be on an even footing. Then they would rush out and buy our goods???

The only way that we can help those who are less fortunate than ourselves is to help them. Not by sending cash and purchasing shoddy goods, that has been going on in Africa and they have not progressed at all, in fact they have gone downhill even more since the aid to them has increased. And I mean ALL of Africa.

It is the political will in a country that has to change. Again I will state: Look at those countries who have a free society, who have democratically elected leaders and where there are those systems in place which you seem to decry, i.e. Social security etc.

If the will of the governments were to change in a way that encourages capitalism and spreads the wealth mote fairly we will have a world of more equality as is being ‘tried' in the EEC.

There is one other way, but it does not always work. Mr Castro, De Gaulle, and similar so called ‘beneficial dictators' those who are so introverted that they do not see beyond their own political ideals or beyond the borders of their own country.

Look at the USA, UK, Germany, France, and now Spain, Portugal etc.

Who has got it right? We cannot help those other poorer nations by destroying ourselves.

Live in peace, and also, give a piece to others.



My stated facts, although interesting at times, are generally irrevelant.

The brain is like a parachute, it only functions correctly when it is open. Pax vobiscum.

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ARMacleod says on Oct 14, 2005, 03:18:

OOPS. Glitch, not trying to be emphatic. It would not delete.

My stated facts, although interesting at times, are generally irrevelant.

The brain is like a parachute, it only functions correctly when it is open. Pax vobiscum.

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viewpoint says on Oct 14, 2005, 06:26:

In order to compete the USA manufacturers are moving the manufacturing offshore to the lower labor markets and are becoming simply marketing machines on the USA mainland. They have been moving the production offshore for decades like textiles, shoes, toys etc.

They must do that or they will fail in many (not all) cases. During the early phases of the great depression USA labor had to face the choice of receiving a 50% reduction in wages or not have a job. We are there now in many industries.

As you shop for things and notice the 75% DISCOUNT for Chinese goods I have to say you get addicted to the price differential and are willing to accept a little difference in the quality of the goods (which is good and improving in most cases). I have been working with the Chinese porcelanato lately and I can't beleive the improvement in quality over the past three years. It now rivels Italian products. China will run many areas of construction products before this game is over. As Japan and Korea rampted up industrial production they had quality issues but look where they are today as leaders of quality (not followers).

The throught that China can't produce quality goods is simply not true. They are building state-of-the-art factories.

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vladimiro says on Oct 14, 2005, 18:36:

China protests You have to consider the size of China's population when considering the significance of the protetsts mentioned above by Tinto. Those protests do sound big but I don't know if they are in relation to a population of a billion+.

I wonder If you asked anyone in China about the protests would they have even heard of them? Because I remember when overly nationalistic US press drummed up the significance of 2K students protesting in Tehran my family there said in a city of 12 million 2k kids protesting goes almost unkowticed.

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CaryGrant says on Oct 14, 2005, 19:50:

IF things continue as they are, China will dominate. However, other countries will react, as may the Chinese people:

* As China develops more of a stake in selling to wealthier people, it is easier to put pressure on China to improve human rights, lessen the wholesale environmental destruction, etc. This will increase the cost of Chinese goods.
* Eventually, the Chinese currency will float. At that time, they will lose a large chunk of their advantage, as currently their exports are essentially subsidized.
* There may be repercussions when China takes over Taiwan. If not Taiwan, then the next country. Sooner or later, somebody will stand up to China.
* Like the Asian Tigers before them, the Chinese will learn to make better quality goods. However, quality does cost more, in that workers must be more skilled, equipment must be newer and better maintained, etc.

Am I concerned about China's impact? Living on the West Coast of Canada, you bet.

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kernow62 says on Oct 14, 2005, 20:33:

I knew Bryston's were Canadian, don't know why it slipped out. Anyway do you know if they use MOSFET output transistors? If so that is probably why the bottom end isn't so great, bipolar transistors are always better on the bottom end but lack the midrange clarity of MOSFET amps. Hence the reason to bi-amp or tri-amp the speakers. IMHO for studio monitors self powered are the right approach provided the amps are designed for each frequency range.

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Rubiazo says on Oct 15, 2005, 01:18:

ALl the best nearfields these days are active. We have a tri-amped Turbosound (UK) rig here with cerwin vega subs (US) but we use Crown power (US) all around. To my ears it is just the best. But Brystons do very well for mid and his.

China has a new line of PA stuff out called Kustom. I saw some of it for sale in Bogota. Not bad, but I still went with Laney (UK). I bet in 3-5 years they will be competitive in speakers.

In the end they will be a manufacturing powerhouse, but I don't think they will dominate. I think India has a lot more long term potential than China, plus, they already speak English, and very few non-Chinese have ever gotten very far in any Chinese language, Mandarin or otherwise.

But above those two, I think Brazil will be the next big thing to watch for. They get a lot of bad press in this part of the world, but they are making a lot of progress on a lot of fronts, and in many areas they are very progressive. Unfortunately they are also becoming as big of a cultural vacuum as the US is.

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kernow62 says on Oct 15, 2005, 06:02:

I think you are right on target, India and Brazil are the ones to watch.

Rubi locate a dealer in NYC that sells Meridian audio gear (home audio and home theatre) there are a few, stop in with a favourite DVD and CD and give a listen. I think you will be stunned. I can't afford their stuff, but the active digital technology they use really works well.
http://www.meridian-audio.com/welcome.htm

My friend sells their gear here in Orlando from a building with no windows, no signs and no publicity and just through knowing somebody who knows somebody you can get an appointment to audition the stuff.

By the way I have got a few old Crown amps somewhere in my loft, they must be 30+ years old, any interest in them?

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CaryGrant says on Oct 15, 2005, 09:01:

Kernow & Rubi B&W speakers + Creek amp + turntable = awesome sound...

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kernow62 says on Oct 15, 2005, 09:14:

Agreed CaryGrant. Creek aren't well known in the US but I use a modified Creek phono preamp and for the price it is very nice.

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viewpoint says on Oct 21, 2005, 20:33:

Panama City Auto Show Just returned this evening from the Auto Show here in Panama City and I found two additional new dealers for Chinese pickups and SUVs making a total of four Chinese manufacturers represented here.

I understand there are more Chinese manufacturers that will be represented here in Panama in the coming year. One new dealer had the 2006 line of diesel powered pickups and SUVs here and the improvements over the 2005 model I bought one month ago are stunning.

The people were gathered around the foreign (non USA) cars especially the Toyoto, Hundyi, Skoda, Honda, Mercedes and BMW products. Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge had large displays but were gathering the traffic that the foreign manufacturers were. The Hummers drew a lot of attention.

The SsangYong Motor Company of South Korea manufacturers a SUV called the Rexton with a Mercedes turbo diesel engine and automatic transmission that is nice. The finishes are like that of a higher end vehicle like the BMW for 23K.

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kernow62 says on Oct 22, 2005, 03:59:

SsangYong has been making those Merc powered SUVs for years so they must be doing something right.

I have often wondered why Skoda hasn't entered the US market, they make some nice cars. I think the US buyer is losing out on some nice vehicles from Renault, Peugot and Citroen too.

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viewpoint says on Oct 22, 2005, 05:08:

Kernow62 I thought the quality of the REXTON interior finishes was impressive. A friend of mine here has a REXTON that is about 2-3 years old and when I first saw the new 2006 last night I thought it was another model from China as the rear hatch was raised and that's the only place you see the REXTON name. They are popular hear in Panama.

People really like the Hyundai Terracan for a (larger) mid sized SUV and they all come with 4 wheel drive and you can get two different sizes of tubro charged diesel engines and of course a gasoline engline if you choose.

I think it will take awhile for the Chinese to penatrate the market but the price difference between those pickups and SUVs do get your attention and with a little negoiating they come cheaper.

Kernow, you are right about Skoda's line of vehicles and the fact the diesels are not imported into the USA. They have a model (costs about $15,000 including 5% tax) that's mid sized 4 door sedan with a manual transmissionand diesel engine that gets 90 kilometers per gallon of diesel. I don't think the USA hybrds are that efficent.

I have to say that after spending part of this past year in Panama City working with some the construction trades I have came to appreciate more fully the quality of workmanship in Medellin and the trades people there. It's takes four Panamanians to do the same work as one Colombian construction worker. The Colombian turns out quality work while the Panamanians turn out poor quality or never even finish the job to any reasonable persons satisfaction.

Correctly managed, the Colombian promises and delivers while the Panamanian promises and never delivers followed only by a sea of broken promises. It's the worst I have ever seen in 43 years of being in business. Colombians will own Panama again as they are the hardest and most serious workers here. The jewish have the brains and control a lot of business here but their religion comes first and every week is another jewish holiday when many close their businesses to celebrate the holiday.

At times I think there is this great untapped pool of cheap labor here but in relative terms the productivity is so poor that the costs of labor per person is not a true measurement if it takes four people to do one persons job and they do it three times slower than a USA worker with skills. The USA worker even with higher cost labor has better productivity than most parts of Latin America but I think Asia and India have great competeing skills and producivity. This statement is just in general terms as I know there are many exceptions.

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Crazy Eagle says on Oct 22, 2005, 11:50:

china's growth good news China's growth is nothing to be alarmed about. It is easy to have % annual growth rate when you are starting at a low level. Pay someone 25 cents an hour. When you raise the salary to 50 cents, it has grown 100%. Hard to sustain that growth rate for long.

But China's growth is good news for everyone, including the US. It means a larger market for our exports, the goods and services in which we have a relative advantage. That's the great thing about free trade. It lets countrees benefit from RELATIVE advantages.

As China becomes wealthier, the citizens will demand democracy and a free press. Then they will want more vacations, health benefits, and at that point will lose many of the ABSOLUTE advantages they have because of cheap labor. Then they will go thru a phase where they also want the things that suck about the west - McDonalds, fried chicken, shitty pop music - until they grow up.

"There is no better soporific and sedative than skepticism." Frederich Nietzsche

"The natural rhythm of life is routine punctuated by orgy" Aldous Huxley

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utopiacowboy says on Oct 22, 2005, 18:25:

I find it interesting to talk to the many Indian contractors that we have working for us. I guess they are probably more favorably disposed towards the US than most because they are here but to a person they contrast the rigidity of Indian society with the flexibility and openness of US society. They also say that their experience working here is regarded favorably and will help them advance back home. I don't know of anyone from the US who goes to India hoping that their experience there will help them here.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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kernow62 says on Oct 22, 2005, 18:52:

That is quite true, and even more go to the UK for advancement or to emigrate. However I do know a few Colombians who sent their children to India for an education. Not a traditional Western education, more of a lifestyle learning experience.

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kernow62 says on Oct 22, 2005, 19:00:

Viewpoint one of the problems is that the US was treated to GM's crappy diesels years ago so they are of course leery of diesel technology. There is also the confounding price of diesel in the US that places it at more than the cost of premium unleaded petrol. VW is having some success with their diesels but in Europe they have even more efficient models and the Citroen that my uncle drives in Belgium would simply be more than the typical American could handle, that and the fact that it is French and we all know that the Bushites won't go for that.

Perhaps if diesel was priced properly and petrol was $5.00 or $6.00 a gallon then the public might accept European (even French) diesels.

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viewpoint says on Oct 22, 2005, 19:17:

Kernow62 It's too bad because GM turned out some good diesels for industrial purposes many years ago like the 6:71 and 6:10 diesels that were used in scrapers, boats, dozers, generator sets, water pumps, loaders just to name a few applications and those engines are still running today but when GM designed an engine for automobiles and pickup, as you say, they fell on their ass and left a bad taste in people memory. It was a disaster to say the least. AT the same time Audi inported a diesel powered car (starting in 1979) and that was a great car (I had 2 of them).

I think that turbo charged diesel technology would be a better answer to fuel economy than gas powered. Something like a turbo diesel electric battery hybrd.

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dwmte says on Oct 23, 2005, 08:41:

china's growth is surely something to watch... what i do find interesting, is with all their capital resources, you never hear of them donating to world tragedies, disasters, etc.

i think that the media should put pressure to return some of that wealth to those areas around the globe which have suffered so greatly and are in need of international help.

even poor nations rally to the call when tragedy strikes, but i've not heard of china coming up off a dime.

as for quality, i wouldn't discredit china at all. their quality has sky rocketed over the past decade and they're able to compete, basically with any product, anywhere. once they had their machine tool industry in place, all they needed to do was change the quality level of their materials, which for the most part, they have done.

i can remember buying a set of sockets from asia and upon using one, the socket would crack...pure junk. beautiful tools, cheap, but not worth a shit. now, by using hi tensile metals, the story has changed. don't underestimate those chaps. it's a different story in india...they have a long row to hoe before their quality standards rise. india is still a fledgeling cottage industry in almost all arenas. it functions as an 'call center' outsource, but that doesn't produce goods and human services other than that friendly "hello" at the other end of the line when you're calling your favorite store or bank.

dwmte

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CaryGrant says on Oct 23, 2005, 09:32:

Kernow - "I have often wondered why Skoda hasn't entered the US market, they make some nice cars." Perhaps after their Canadian experience, they decided to give up in NA. This was over 10 years ago, but Skoda's were inexpensive and unreliable rustbuckets. They got a very poor reputation close to the level of Lada and Yugo, and I haven't heard of them since.

dwmte - India is booming in the high-tech field. I'm a technical writer in a software development company, and many TW and developer jobs have been outsourced to India (not from my company, but in general). Much of this is stupid managers chasing imaginary savings; some companies are now returning development work to the US and Canada following quality and communication issues in India. However, there are many circumstances where outsourcing to India works well, and I'm sure the companies and people over there are learning....

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kernow62 says on Oct 23, 2005, 11:36:

dwmte, nice to see you back. However China did send money after Katrina hit the US, perhaps not as much as we would have liked but they did contribute cash. Now the largest natural disaster of all time hit China, larger than even the tsunami and they did not accept any money form other countries. I am sure other countries offered aid, but they felt they didn't need it. Israel a country who receives billions from the US, how much money did they send? If I know Israel they offered advice and experts.

CaryGrant, I remember the Skoda you are talking about, I think it was closer to 20 years ago and you would not believe the improvement to their cars in the years since.

Lada is not a bad car, it is very rugged, that is why so many are still seen in Colombia.

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viewpoint says on Oct 25, 2005, 05:57:

Overview: The Dragon Versus the Panthera

Emerging market bond prices were slightly higher on Monday. Trading was light. The JPM EMBI+ gained 0.11%, ending the session at 270. Investors welcomed President Bushâ s decision to name Ben Bernanke as Fed Chairman. Although Bernanke's name was circulating in the market for a long time, I thought Treasury Undersecretary John Taylor was being groomed for the position. Obviously, I was wrong. Bernanke is a good choice. He is a well-known economist, who favors inflation targeting. The market's reaction to the news was favorable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury Note slid to 4.44%, and the Dow Jones Industrials were up 1.66%.

The emerging markets, however, were not as reactive to the news. Investors in Latin America were more focused on the mid-term elections in Argentina. President Kirchner and his political
allies swept the mid-term elections, more than doubling the number of congressional seats in the Lower House to 105 from an initial level of 40. President Kirchner's branch of the Peronist Party still lacks an outright congressional majority. However, the midterm results will induce many Peronists who are still loyal to former President Duhalde to switch sides. Cristina Kirchner's 25 point lead in the Province of Buenos Aires, Duhalde's home turf, will
surely accelerate the defection process. The midterm results provided President Kirchner with a tremendous boost. It was clear that the lavish spending programs of 2005 helped his standing in the polls. Therefore, we can expect a surge in government spending as we approach the presidential elections in 2007. The completion of the midterm elections allows the Province of Buenos Aires move ahead with its bond restructuring program. Provincial bond prices have
been relatively stable, but there is a chance that they could move higher. There is a large group of international creditors who are vowing to reject the provincial proposal. A rough calculation suggests that the participation rate in the provincial restructuring could be lower than the sovereign--even though the provinceâ s terms will be better. The group of creditors communicated their demands to the provincial government and they seem to be reasonable.

Therefore, there is a chance that the provincial government will improve its offer, providing additional upside to the bonds. We see value in the Province of Buenos Aires because the payoff distribution is skewed to the upside.

India and China are becoming the major rivals of the 21st century. Although many people thought that the rivalry would be between the U.S. and China, the relationship between these two powers is one of replacement. China is in ascendancy, as the U.S. declines. However, the relationship between India and China is competitive. The rivalry will soon focus on natural resources and global political-economic dominance. In ways, the competition between India and China will mirror the 20th century rivalry between the U.S. and Russia.
Vestiges of this superpower rivalry are starting to emerge. One of the most poignant examples was seen two weeks ago, as India and China struggled for control of PetroKazakhstan. Indiaâ s Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) and L.N. Mittal competed fiercely against China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) for PetroKazakhstan. In the end, CNPC won the auction, even though ONGC presented a higher bid. ONGC, of course, complained loudlyâ alleging fraud.

However, the struggle for PetroKazakhstan revealed the intense rivalry that is emerging between these two superpowers. India and China are becoming the global leaders in technology development, services and manufacturing. Representing a third of the world's population, India and China are also realizing that they must compete with each other in order to secure access to strategic commodities. Central Asia is the current battle ground, but it will soon move to the other major commodity producing regions particularly Africa and Latin America.

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dwmte says on Oct 25, 2005, 12:06:

viewpoint... i swear, friend, you should take over the bolsa in medellin, you'ld raise earnings and image both.

by the way, it's nice to 'see' your voice again.

i met the ex director years ago, francisco piedrahita, and found him both cultured and courteous. don't know if he's still the director.

peace,

douglas

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viewpoint says on Oct 25, 2005, 18:53:

Douglas I am still in Panama City as I came here for 8 days three weeks ago and I am still here. I am trying to get out of here and back to Medellin. I have ten construction workers and not one of them speaks english. My bilingual engineer fell two weeks ago and injured her ankle. She returns next monday so I am leaving this saturday.

Come be my translator.

It's good to see your posts again as we been missing you.

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dwmte says on Oct 27, 2005, 15:13:

viewpoint... sorry about the problems in panama... it's ALWAYS murphy's law... if it can, it will!

before i could speak spanish, i had twelve workshops in and around medellin, many pueblos. because i had money then, when i'd go to retiro, maranilla, rio negro, etc. i'd use helicol. i could even get them to drop me off at la trucha in the parking lot. those days were cool. now...?

the point being, i did well and produced near 500 pcs of furniture without a real command of the idiom. now, many years later, although not technically literal in the tongue, i can be understood anywhere, by anyone.

we should discuss your suggestion about helping with your affairs. if it was a serious comment, pm me or e me at dwmte at bellsouth.net.

douglas

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pepster says on Oct 27, 2005, 15:52:

Unsustainable This is a discussion I've had with people of all walks of life and I have yet to find someone who can convince otherwise.

China is reminiscent of Japan but different. Reminiscent because it's taking advantage of cheap labor to push higher end goods. Not just textiles. If and when the Chinese become more affluent, their goods will become more expensive to produce. They will require higher pay thus cause them to become less competitive. The same as Honda had to build in America, because Japan labor was going through the roof.

But if you hurt the American economy as Japan did, you hurt your best customer.

Now, some will say, oh but China has a huge population and can consume their own goods. Slow down. You mean China will become capitalist therefore threaten the Communist regime.

This is where everyone is missing the point. China does not allow a free press. You still can't own your own house or start your own business without a Government sanction. China is it's own house of cards politically and economically.

People have been counting out the dollar as long as I can remember.
So the Euro was pegged once against the dolar 1:1, so what.

The US has been benefiting hand over fist with a cheap dollar.


The Pepster

"I'm an American and I'm a Colombian. Not neither or either...so deal with it."

The Pepster ColombianBlog.com

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kernow62 says on Oct 27, 2005, 18:14:

I'll say it is a cheap dollar. Need more just print a few.

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