Diligence China

Not on purpose.                    

China views global crises like this one as a fire in the next town.  It’s terribly unfortunate – a real pity.  But we didn’t start it and there’s nothing we can do to help while it’s still raging.  Later, we’ll see.  Maybe later there will be opportunities for us – maybe later there will be threats for us.  Best to stay out of it until we know exactly what this means to us. 

I’ve been watching Bloomberg & CNN and seeing talk of summits and meetings.  It’s nice – gives everyone a feeling that the best and brightest are working on options.

But if you want to know what the Chinese official party line is, all you have to do is look.    Go to www.chinaview.cn – a Xinhua wire-service website that carries official People’s Daily articles and editorials. 

President Hu Jintao on Friday reiterated the stance before leaders of 45 Asian and European nations and organizations who gathered here at the opening ceremony of the Seventh Asia-Europe Meeting. “China must first and foremost run its own affairs well,” he stressed.   
  http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/24/content_10246788.htm

Don’t look for China to do anything bold, untested or brash outside its own borders until there is a clearer path.  The PRC is more likely to take a measured, approach – ‘crossing the river by feeling for the rocks’ – during this crisis.  Beijing simply has no interest in taking a leadership role in this thing. 

As we’ll be finding out over the  next few weeks and months – China has problems of its own just now.