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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: gao seng who wrote (19654)	5/29/2000 8:14:00 PM
From: chalu2	Respond to of 769667

>>Interactiveweek.com ran a story on China recently. Basically, their b2b marketplace is in the street. You are delusional to think that China is a big market dollarwise.<< I'm not that delusional. Take a look at the long story in this week's Business Week (is that publication as well known as Interactiveweek.com?). Not only have multinationals sunk staggering sums into reaching China's markets, but the big problem now is counterfeiting--Proctor & Gamble alone has lost $150 million in sales because of counterfeitors. If they can lose $150 million just to knockoffs, sounds like a pretty big market to me! I suppose Bill Gates is also delusional, since he thinks China is a big, important market (maybe he hasn't been reading Interactiveweek.com): Yes, More Trade With China by Bill Gates The Washington Post May 23, 2000 I've visited China many times in recent years, both out of personal interest and on business. Some of my fondest recollections are of conversations I've had with students at Qinghua University--often referred to as the MIT of China. Rarely have I experienced such enthusiasm and energy from a group of students or such passion about how technology can change the world. My discussions with the Qinghua students and others throughout China give me confidence that China is poised to play a major and growing role in the global economy--and in the future of technology. With 1.2 billion citizens, it's only a matter of time before China's marketplace explodes, providing enormous opportunities for Chinese and U.S. companies as well as businesses around the world. As Congress votes on whether to approve permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with China, I couldn't agree more with Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's recent comment that the outcome will have profound implications for the free world's trading system and the long-term growth potential of the U.S. economy. What the vote on PNTR really comes down to is whether the United States is going to join with other major countries in Europe, Asia and elsewhere in creating open global markets or is going to forgo the opportunity to benefit from a fast-growing Chinese marketplace. I understand the concerns that some have raised regarding human rights and labor issues in China. I believe our best opportunity to exert a positive influence in these areas is to do more--not less--to encourage China's participation in the global community. Increasing trade and stronger economic relationships, including PNTR status and China's accession to the World Trade Organization, will do far more to nurture social and economic change in China than regularly threatening trade sanctions. As I've talked to students throughout China, I have seen not just a passion for technology but also a passion for new ideas, for how Americans think, how our economy operates and how our social institutions work. I firmly believe the best way to build a strong and constructive relationship with China--and to address the concerns that have been raised over social issues--is through increased economic and cultural interaction. With improved trade relations, high technology in particular can play an important role. Personal computers and the Internet are windows to the world. Today, only 2.5 percent of China's population owns a computer--compared with nearly 50 percent in the United States--and less than one percent has Internet access. But the numbers are growing at an astonishing rate. In 1997 China was already the sixth-largest market for PCs; by the end of next year it will probably rank third. During 1999 the number of Internet users in China quadrupled, and will likely more than double again this year, to more than 20 million. Today, only a small percentage of Microsoft's revenues come from China, but we are making large investments there, because we believe in its future--not only as a place for Microsoft to do business but also as a fertile source of new ideas about how technology can improve people's lives. Although our efforts in China are still relatively modest, Microsoft's current activities offer examples of how increased trade relations could serve as a positive vehicle for change in China: We employ more than 450 people in our Chinese subsidiary, where salaries are far higher than the average Chinese wage. Our compensation and benefits are helping to raise the standard of living. With more than 2,000 resellers, 600 certified training partners and four major product distributors in China, Microsoft's presence is helping to nurture Western-style business practices and values, which in turn leads to improved intellectual property protection, a key issue for high-technology companies in particular. We are investing more than $ 80 million over six years in Microsoft Research, China, a research lab opened in Beijing in 1998. We chose Beijing as the site for this lab--one of only two international research facilities operated by Microsoft--because it offers an opportunity to tap into the deep pool of intellectual talent in China, as well as providing a test bed for addressing some of the unique challenges the Chinese marketplace presents. Our Beijing research facility employs nearly 100 highly skilled researchers who work closely with local universities and research institutes, as well as the Chinese government, to support China in its development of a strong information-technology industry. Using funds recovered from anti-piracy efforts, Microsoft recently announced support for Beijing University's Center for the Study of Rule of Law, which will focus on intellectual property law and judicial procedures that promote innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity in the fields of science and technology. The investments we are making today will have a direct, beneficial impact on Microsoft and many other U.S. technology companies. The opportunities are virtually limitless as the Chinese market for software grows, as China expands its information technology infrastructure, as intellectual property protections continue to advance and as U.S. companies develop new products for the most populous nation in the world. A vote for PNTR is a vote for American jobs and trade opportunities in today's competitive global economy. I believe it is also a vote for strong democratic and social institutions in China, and a vote for a closer and more secure world. The writer is chairman and chief software architect of the Microsoft Corp.