Alphecca

Triumph For Free Trade

I never really know how I feel about free trade agreements since the US is usually the only country to honor those agreements. But here's a story I like that seems to validate the idea of it... From the Detroit Free Press:

BEIJING -- China got an official introduction to the icon of American capitalism Monday, as General Motors Corp. launched the Cadillac luxury brand in a ceremony worthy of Hollywood.

GM and joint-venture partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. plan to begin selling the CTS luxury sedan, SRX crossover and Corvette-based XLR luxury roadster within a year in the world's most populous nation and fastest-growing auto market.

This was not a moment to pass unnoticed or unheralded. The automakers marked the occasion at the imperial Tai Temple of the Forbidden City -- now the Labor People Palace of Culture -- in an elaborate presentation staged by filmmaker Ang Lee...
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...Aside from China's incredible growth, Cadillac has two advantages in coming to China now, said Stuart Pierce, the Cadillac brand director for Shanghai GM. One is that a new generation of young entrepreneurs is "not afraid to flaunt their success" with a bold-looking car. The other is that while Chinese know of Cadillac's rich history as a car favored by U.S. presidents and the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, they never had to bear witness to underpowered or uninspired Caddies, such as the Catera...
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...The aim is to position Cadillac favorably against BMW and Mercedes, so it can be strong in a few years, when GM believes China will surpass Japan and become the world's second-biggest auto market. Murtaugh and others expect more vehicles to be sold in China than in the United States by about 2025.

"By 2010, China could represent 15 to 20 percent of our total volume," LaNeve said Monday night.

There's another story yesterday predicting that 1 in 4 Chinese will have a cell-phone by the end of the year.

The Chinese government can try to restrict access to the internet (or some sites, anyway) but with cell-phone technology being what it is, the access will be there anyway.

Often it is the business world and industry that works fastest to start the movement towards freedom! To hell with the politicians and activist groups.