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The Chinese are coming..to be our 'friend'

13567

Comments

  • #62
    Wertz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,909 ✭✭✭✭Wertz


    Chinese know a bargain when they see one.


  • #63
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,828 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    This is just one big pipedream! just like the Casino or whateveritis near Port Laoise that some developer who over bought land is trying to offload.

    Athlone is in the wrong place for a distribution network. The Chinese are trying to monopolise their distribution networks so Chinese goods go on Chinese ships to Chinese lorries to Chinese shops to Irish customers and all the profit goes back to China, they ain't going to make anything here.

    Edit: and the bending of "Made in EU" rules. as below!


  • #64
    PanchoVilla
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭PanchoVilla


    latenia wrote: »
    This is what this is really about:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/world/europe/13prato.html

    Why the fup should we allow them to come in and drive down wages, labour conditions and the quality of goods produced here? They're only interested in Ireland as a flag of convenience and are hoping to take advantage of our currently weakened state to get a foot in the door. Rather than create jobs and wealth, this kind of setup will do the opposite and, if it becomes more widespread, permanently bring us down to their standard of living.
    It is a “Made in Italy” problem: Enabled by Italy’s weak institutions and high tolerance for rule-bending, the Chinese have blurred the line between “Made in China” and “Made in Italy,” undermining Italy’s cachet and ability to market its goods exclusively as high end.

    So the Italian government lets people get away with breaking (bending) the law and it's the Chinese that are to blame? Perhaps if the authorities weren't so corrupt and actually did their job the Italians wouldn't be in this situation.


  • #65
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,828 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    latenia wrote: »
    This is what this is really about:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/world/europe/13prato.html

    Why the fup should we allow them to come in and drive down wages, labour conditions and the quality of goods produced here? They're only interested in Ireland as a flag of convenience and are hoping to take advantage of our currently weakened state to get a foot in the door. Rather than create jobs and wealth, this kind of setup will do the opposite and, if it becomes more widespread, permanently bring us down to their standard of living.

    You could be right! Bring "semi-finished" goods in from China and do final assembly* here and stick a Made in EU sticker on it.


    *Inserting the spark plug into the engine of a car is sufficient to give it a made in EU sticker (despite the fact that the remainder of the assembly was in China).


  • #66
    AckwelFoley
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,556 ✭✭✭✭AckwelFoley


    BillShorey wrote: »
    Sounds interesting although they should perhaps look at the total and utter failure to integrate by the existing Chinese immigrants before they even consider exporting a few thousand more over here to sit in Athlone as a separate community.

    Athlone is a rather random spot for it though. I don't understand these proposals out in the middle of nowhere while there's a ton of viable land in/around Dublin where tourists can access it easily and there's already capable transport systems.

    Athlone is 40 mins from dublin.

    Middle of nowhere is subjective.

    There is talk about an airport been built near athlone, probably for this purpose


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  • #67
    PanchoVilla
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭PanchoVilla


    Deleted User wrote: »
    You could be right! Bring "semi-finished" goods in from China and do final assembly* here and stick a Made in EU sticker on it.


    *Inserting the spark plug into the engine of a car is sufficient to give it a made in EU sticker (despite the fact that the remainder of the assembly was in China).

    That's an issue for the EU to deal with. Contact you MEP. Just because Irish and EU laws are woefully inadequate doesn't mean the Chinese are devils for taking advantage of it. European and U.S. companies have been taking advantage of sweatshops in China for decades.
    Athlone is in the wrong place for a distribution network.

    Have you looked at a map of Ireland recently? Athlone is almost exactly in the center of the island. How would it be the wrong place for a distribution network?


  • #68
    Adyx
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,997 ✭✭✭Adyx


    I assume this is the same thing from 4 months ago.
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055955413


  • #69
    flash1080
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,017 ✭✭✭flash1080


    Athlone is a dump.

    Wooooooo!!!!!! 155 posts!


  • #70
    AckwelFoley
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,556 ✭✭✭✭AckwelFoley


    Deleted User wrote: »
    This is just one big pipedream! just like the Casino or whateveritis near Port Laoise that some developer who over bought land is trying to offload.

    Athlone is in the wrong place for a distribution network. The Chinese are trying to monopolise their distribution networks so !

    Its not for distribution. Its aim is to make it simpler for europeans to meet chinese companies.

    A french watch company wants to outsource parts of their manufacturing..they can come to this centre and meet chinese manufacturers rather than going on a 13 hour flight to china.


  • #71
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    MagicMarker wrote: »
    The chinese... a great bunch of lads.
    They are not lazy, they know how to wok hard!


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  • #72
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    ...as long as theres no roof top battles after 11 on a week night, I'm easy.


  • #73
    Rabble Rabble
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,367 ✭✭✭Rabble Rabble


    SugarHigh wrote: »
    China are building an empire they have already bought a lot of Africa for food supply. I don't see the problem, I'd prefer an empire built through investment than war.

    The only problem there is historical precedent, like the East India company etc. It may become a real empire. That said the Chinese are not really all that imperialistic.


  • #74
    Rabble Rabble
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,367 ✭✭✭Rabble Rabble


    latenia wrote: »
    This is what this is really about:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/world/europe/13prato.html

    Why the fup should we allow them to come in and drive down wages, labour conditions and the quality of goods produced here? They're only interested in Ireland as a flag of convenience and are hoping to take advantage of our currently weakened state to get a foot in the door. Rather than create jobs and wealth, this kind of setup will do the opposite and, if it becomes more widespread, permanently bring us down to their standard of living.

    I assume they will pay Western wages in the West. The hostility to the Chinese is appalling, they are a very good people.


  • #75
    Nerdkiller1991
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,000 ✭✭✭Nerdkiller1991


    You know, I don't care what they do there. As long as the place has an IMAX theatre (and not a digital one), I'm moving there. But yeah, it does seem a bit suspicious of the Chinese to build a village in this country.


  • #76
    SugarHigh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,265 ✭✭✭SugarHigh


    PanchoVilla wrote: »
    So the Italian government lets people get away with breaking (bending) the law and it's the Chinese that are to blame? Perhaps if the authorities weren't so corrupt and actually did their job the Italians wouldn't be in this situation.

    Not only that but it's complete hypocrisy for Irish people to complain about something like that when so much food produced in Ireland is sold in Britain with a made in Britain logo simply because it was repackaged there.


  • #77
    latenia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,996 ✭✭✭latenia


    Rabble Rabble wrote: »
    I assume they will pay Western wages in the West. The hostility to the Chinese is appalling, they are a very good people.

    Did you even read that article I linked to? Do you honestly believe the staff in the restaurants on Parnell St all have valid working visas (and adhere to their conditions) are on the books and paid minimum wage? Chinese are generally good people but in many aspects of their society they're about 50 years behind us.


  • #78
    SugarHigh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,265 ✭✭✭SugarHigh


    snyper wrote: »
    Its not for distribution. Its aim is to make it simpler for europeans to meet chinese companies.

    A french watch company wants to outsource parts of their manufacturing..they can come to this centre and meet chinese manufacturers rather than going on a 13 hour flight to china.
    +1

    It basically a glorified expo hall of which china has lots if but now they are building one here to save a plane journey.


  • #79
    BillShorey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 117 ✭✭BillShorey


    If the Chinese build a settlement here, does that mean we've got to start worrying about those god damn mongorians?


  • #80
    ScumLord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,787 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    I don't trust the Chinese government, I don't trust the American government either but at least the American people can keep them in check. There's no such balance in China.

    I don't think the Chinese government has any respect for the west as can be seen by the amount of counter fitting that comes out of there, they are ripping off their western customers and the western companies take it because their making out like bandits either way using cheap Chinese labour so it's not really any skin off their noses.


  • #81
    AckwelFoley
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,556 ✭✭✭✭AckwelFoley


    latenia wrote: »
    Did you even read that article I linked to? Do you honestly believe the staff in the restaurants on Parnell St all have valid working visas (and adhere to their conditions) are on the books and paid minimum wage? Chinese are generally good people but in many aspects of their society they're about 50 years behind us.

    This proposal isnt a resturant.

    Most of the people that work in Chinese resturants are either family, friends of family or inlaws of sorts. They tend to keep to themselves and spend very little, and when they do its mainly asian food from asian wholesalers here.


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  • #82
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Nerdkiller1991 wrote: »
    You know, I don't care what they do there. As long as the place has an IMAX theatre (and not a digital one), I'm moving there. But yeah, it does seem a bit suspicious of the Chinese to build a village in this country.

    Sure it won't last long. Kung Fu battles in the tea houses mean chinese villages have a relatively short life span.


  • #83
    PanchoVilla
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭PanchoVilla


    latenia wrote: »
    Did you even read that article I linked to? Do you honestly believe the staff in the restaurants on Parnell St all have valid working visas (and adhere to their conditions) are on the books and paid minimum wage? Chinese are generally good people but in many aspects of their society they're about 50 years behind us.

    Like I said before, that's a matter for the Irish authorities to deal with, not the Chinese employers. If they're allowed to break the law they will break the law, Irish companies do it all the time. Why the double standard?

    I worked for Londis on O'Connell St. for about two months a few years ago. I was paid less than the minimum wage and was told this was because they had a two week training period. After the two weeks was up they continued paying me under the minimum wage and I was not paid extra for overtime. I asked why I wasn't being paid minimum wage and they told me they'd get onto it. Two months later I decided to just leave and I reported them to the Dept. of Labor. I doubt anything was done about it.


  • #84
    pwd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,284 ✭✭✭pwd


    Re people saying they are trying to corrupt the imaginary "Made in Ireland" mark of quality - they aren't intending to manufacture anything in the proposed hub.

    This thread pretty much demonstrates exactly why China would want to do something like this: Potential foreign investors and customers are often put off by distrust of China. This is demonstrated by numerous kneejerk distrustful responses. Having a physical office/point of contact in Ireland would provide reassurance to potential customers.

    It's not great that they're doing this, because providing a point of contact here would remove the advantages Irish businesses have in fields where direct competition is possible. They already can afford to murder us on price across the board.

    The problem is that if we say no, another nearby country could say yes - possibly removing the advantages anyway. Might be the prisoner's dilemma.

    But maybe the answer is simple enough: Say yes, but insist on preference for Irish employees there. Not supposed to give work visas out unless you can't fill a job with an EU person as it is, so they should just be strict with that rule.


  • #85
    Dionysus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,420 ✭✭✭Dionysus


    On 1 February 2008 Pat Kenny interviewed a man named Tim Butcher who had written a book on Chinese involvement in Africa. The interview made for shocking listening. It was clear from listening to him that China is now the new colonial power in many parts of Africa, making deals with corrupt African leaders to control natural resources in those regions.

    I can't find the podcast on the RTÉ Radio 1 website, but this appears to be the book that Tim Butcher was promoting that day.


  • #86
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,828 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    PanchoVilla wrote: »


    Have you looked at a map of Ireland recently? Athlone is almost exactly in the center of the island. How would it be the wrong place for a distribution network?

    I live there! The road network is centred on Dublin.


  • #87
    Doom
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,381 ✭✭✭Doom


    I wonder is the 180ft tower for employees to jump off, like the poor misfortunates of Foxconn


  • #88
    PanchoVilla
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭PanchoVilla


    Dionysus wrote: »
    On 1 February 2008 Pat Kenny interviewed a man named Tim Butcher who had written a book on Chinese involvement in Africa. The interview made for shocking listening. It was clear from listening to him that China is now the new colonial power in many parts of Africa, making deals with corrupt African leaders to control natural resources in those regions.

    I can't find the podcast on the RTÉ Radio 1 website, but this appears to be the book that Tim Butcher was promoting that day.

    The French and Belgians in west Africa, the British in the east, the Dutch in South Africa....I think the Chinese are the least of their worries to be fairly honest. Thats not even including Ireland's own dark history of slave trading. I think your ignorance of Africa's recent history is what's really shocking here. Better the have Africa's resources controlled by corrupt African leaders than by corrupt European corporations.


  • #89
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 31,828 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    snyper wrote: »
    Its not for distribution. Its aim is to make it simpler for europeans to meet chinese companies.

    A french watch company wants to outsource parts of their manufacturing..they can come to this centre and meet chinese manufacturers rather than going on a 13 hour flight to china.

    If that's the case, then I would oppose it!
    Why? We've already exported enough jobs to the far east without giving them even greater opportunity to take some more.

    After all, if our manufacturing industry is destroyed (it may already be) then soon we won't have any choice but buy from China.
    If they then decouple the Yuan from the dollar and the cost of their stuff will be at least double what it is now, it would take years for local industries to get started.


  • #90
    Acacia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,816 ✭✭✭Acacia


    Don't know which looks worse... this yoke or the planned Las Vegas-style casino , also meant to be built somewhere in the arsehole of the country... tacky monstrosities.

    also i welcome our new chinese overlords with their delicious curry and chips and equally delicious censorship and human rights abuses.


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  • #91
    Absurdum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,444 ✭✭✭Absurdum


    “They were curious as to why a small town in the midlands of Ireland could be the focus of something so big,” says Aengus O’Rourke, Fianna Fáil councillor and son of local TD Mary O’Rourke. She met the prospective investors last year through Ken So, who owns Ken’s Oriental Restaurant in the town and is a long-standing family friend. Aengus O’Rourke describes So as a “facilitator” for the investors.

    His mother was given a detailed presentation on the project. “They laid the plans out on my living room floor,” she says. “It was all very intriguing and even a little mystifying.”

    it will fail


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