24 July 2012 - albatross farm 2
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Qin: This one’s a bit small, but it’s pretty—rare earths.
economist: Oh, cornering production with low prices by trashing
your own rivers, then switching tack.
policy wonk: Is that part of the Five Year Plan to increase
domestic consumption?
economist: Or is to exploit temporary lower domestic prices
to move up the value chain?
policy wonk: By drawing in foreign expertise?
economist: Or do you just want to clean up the mass pollution
you stuck yourself with?
Qin: Whatever, go with the flow!
clue:
For my money, drawing in foreign expertise to accelerate the move to
producing higher-value products is the biggest reason. A textbook
example of how to build a corner and then convert the corner to a
different kind of advantage. The whole move happens faster than the
glacial reactions of the WTO, so China can pretend to be playing
fair the whole time.
take oh take this clue away
copyright 2012, 2024 Jay J.P. Scott
<jay@satirist.org>