Recall what I said last week about the often confused discourse of anti-imperialism and neo-liberal ideology taking plaace in China at the moment... Steve > >HK Standard >May 15, 1999 > >Backlash against US goods could boomerang > > STORY: SHANGHAI: Chinese citizens would damage their >country's interests > if they heed calls by student protesters to boycott US goods, >the official Youth > Daily quoted commentators as saying. > > Scholars, analysts and students alike criticised the boycott >proposals in a > ``forum'' article, saying they would rob people of jobs and >slow the country's > efforts to develop into an economic power. > > Students protesting on Shanghai's streets and on the Internet >against Saturday's > deadly Nato bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade have >urged people > not to wear Nike shoes, ride in Cadillacs or eat at >McDonald's or Kentucky > Fried Chicken. > > At one university a large crowd even criticised two female >students after they > were seen drinking Coca-Cola, it said. ``I can feel (the >student protesters) have > patriotic feelings but in other ways their thinking is not >well-developed,'' said Ni > Jiatai, chairman of the Shanghai economic committee under the >US-Europe > Overseas Students' Association. > > The economic world was increasingly interconnected so if >relations were cut > with a major foreign country ``it will affect China's >economic development'', he > said. ``For example, if now we don't buy General Motors (GM) >Buicks or stop > co-operation with GM, an economic pillar of Shanghai will >feel the effects,'' he > said. > > Shanghai GM's newly built plant, the biggest US investment in >the mainland at > US$1.5 billion (HK$11.7 billion), is expected to employ 3,000 >local workers. > > Lu Deming, the director of the Chinese Economic Research >Centre at Fudan > University, said: ``When foreign investment enters China, the >foreign side profits > but the Chinese side also profits.'' > > ``It expands our employment capability and adds to local tax >revenues,'' he said. > - AFP >
