[mbrown]

Originally Posted by Agamemnon

Well... not being an expert on China or international trade, I can't really comment further. Though, it is still my opinion that China has a _lot_ more control over where foreign entities set up businesses, and how they conduct their business, than Malaysia, Thailand, Belize, etc.

China had advantages they don't have that cannot be overlooked. Chinese controls over the market may be eroding, but they're still stronger their than in nearly every other country in the world due to its (formerly/currently) institutionally centralized nature.

I think with China's unique past (20th century), population, size, resources, culture, etc, that it can not be considered a 'good example' of how all 'poor' nations can develop. Individual factors made China the powerhouse it is today (or will be), and one of the main factors is its ability to control its markets and have more say in what it will produce than most other 'poor' countries.

Just because the people in China were/are 'poor' doesn't mean there are automatic equivalencies with other nations developmental paths that also have 'poor' people.

I'm not saying China is in a sphere of its own... but I also don't think you can point at China and say 'see' to all the other developing nations.

China has crap for natural resources. It is as good an example as any other. Corruption is pretty much the only thing that will ward off MNC's from entering a new market.