[Peace-discuss] More Chinese "soft power"

[Szoke, Ron]

U.S. Companies Court Chinese Infrastructure Spending
New York Times  DealBook 5/15/17
By Sei Chong

	China plans a $1 trillion spending spree to invest in infrastructure all over the world in an initiative called “One Belt, One Road.” The money has not yet been earmarked, but American companies are already looking at ways to get a piece of the action.
For example, Citibank won a contract last month to handle a $3 billion bond offering from Bank of China, which aims to use the money to open branches across Asia, Eastern Europe and East Africa.
	A big hurdle to winning bids though, is China’s preference for its own companies.
	One way for American companies to increase their chances would be to increase manufacturing in China, not in the United States, to satisfy Beijing’s requirements that some of the work be done locally.
	James Zimmerman, a former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, is skeptical that non-Chinese companies can benefit from the spending. “Tell us what we are going to get out of this,” he said, referring to the West. “It’s a nonstarter if it’s all about bringing Chinese goods to Europe, or if it’s all one way.”
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