butchinawillsoonbemorethanasub-contractor.ajulyarticleinasiaweekcommentedthat:"it''snotaboutcheapstuffanymore.frompcstochitosoftware,(china)isbecominganitpowerhouse."
manytaiwanesecompaniesareinvestingheavilyinchina,notjustinlow-endactivities,butalsohightechplantslikewaferfa.thecompaniesareshiftingtheiractivitiesoutoftaiwanintochina.thereare200,000taiwanesebusinemeninshanghaiandanother200,000inkuhannearsuzhou.thetaiwaneseworrythattheirmanufacturingindustryisbeinghollowedout.
richardlimwroteaninterestingarticle,entitled"awake-upcallfromchina",inthesundaytimesof22july.hehasbeentochinaseveraltimesovermanyyears.hefoundchina''straformationtobe:
"alarming,becausechina''straformationwillimpactgreatlyonsingapore,eeciallyonthelivelihoodsofitslewell-educatedcitize."
hethenurgedthat:
"thepeoplemustbemadeawareofwhatishaening,becausetheirfuture,ortheirchildren''s,isatstake."
richardlim''sarticleattractedseveralletters.manyreadersagreedwithhim.
iwas,however,morethanalittlesadtoreadthereoeofayoungreader,probablywestern-educatedandhadneverbeentochina.herevealedthathehaddraftedhisreoewithiutsfromafewotherslikehimself,all20-somethings.hewrote:
"wedonotfeelanyaffinitytothechinesepeople...thecheenapeoplearesuckingawayalltheforeigninvestmentsandalongwiththem,ourjo...wereallycaotimagineaworldwiththecheenapeopleincharge.
thecheenapeopleworkinginsingaporearereallysuchacrudelot."
heendedsarcasticallybyaskingrichardlimtocoidermigratingtochina.
thisyoungmanisunabletoseebeyondhisnose.heneedstogrowup,andquicklytoo.perhahedoesnotknowthatchinesearecalled"orangcina"inmalay.ifwearenotcina,whatarewe?"angmoh"?
ihavebeentochinamanytimes,thefirsttimein1971.ihaveseenchina''straformationatclosequarters.itisscary.yougotobeijing,shanghai,shenzhen,dalia