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EU Wants Power To Block China's Tech Buying

Posted by timothy on from the communist-block dept.

itwbennett writes "In an interview with German daily paper Handelsblatt, the EU's industry commissioner, Antonio Tajani, said he wants the power to block China from buying up European tech companies. Tajani envisions an authority along the same lines as the United States' Committee on Foreign Investment and would determine 'if the acquisition (of a company) with European know-how by a private or public foreign company represented a danger or not.'"

8 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. Considering that they have tied their money .... by WindBourne · · Score: 5, Insightful
    to the dollar, I say block it. The fact is, that while China belongs to WTO and IMF, they obey NONE of it. It is time for the west to say enough, is enough. China needs to obey the treaties and other legal obligations that they have signed. That includes:
    1. allowing their money to float freely(WTO, IMF, and Clinton accord).
    2. Quit dumping (WTO, and Clinton Accord).
    3. Quit subsidizing all of their state businesses (WTO, IMF, and Clinton Accord).
    4. drop trade barriers(WTO, and Clinton Accord).
    5. Turn on their pollution control mechanisms (Japanese treaty).
    6. Allow rare earth exports (WTO).
    7. quit buying up companies and the telling them to either move the company to China or directing that 100% of the goods be transfered to China (WTO).

    And that is just for starters.
    The fact is, that the west needs to say enough is enough. I support free trade, but not when it is one sided.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  2. Re:China is becoming too powerful by WindBourne · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Personally, I do not mind if they become #1. I object because they are cheating the whole way and it is obvious that top pols are in a cold war with the west. And yet, of the flower childs running around the west scream give China a chance. I say, let those flower childs (and the GD CEOs that move the jobs there) to MOVE TO CHINA AND STAY THERE.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  3. Re:China is becoming too powerful by dangitman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And yet, of the flower childs running around the west scream give China a chance.

    Who are you talking about here? The "flower children" are pretty much screaming at China in the name of a Free Tibet and the Dalai Lama. The "give China a chance" crowd are the über corporatist/capitalists.

    --
    ... and then they built the supercollider.
  4. Re:China is becoming too powerful by siddesu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Actually, the US got into power by waiting out until all major powers in Europe were badly bloodied by WWII, and then picking a side and trading old equipment for world dominance. See, e.g. destroyers for bases, lend-lease, etc.

    Then, after the war, the US was easily able to attract talent by money - the so called "brain drain".

    It is doubtful copyrights were even in the game, especially given the fact that the rules were largely synchronized immediately postwar, and the copyrights mostly covered literature anyway.

  5. Re:Considering that they have tied their money ... by WindBourne · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I do not say that their free trade should be restricted. I say that as long as they are not obeying the treaties/laws that they agreed to, THEN there is no reason for us to honor our side. Free trade is about TWO WAY TRADING. CHina is not about 2 way trade. It is about gaining it quickly and with interest in the real issues. They are in a cold war with us and using the economy against the west. It is time for us to stop this.

    One way to pull our electronics out of CHina is to get western companies to move it back. However, QE2 is designed to do that for us. It will shake China lose, or they will suffer massive inflation.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  6. It's more complicated than just that.... by Bacon+Bits · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yes, but the reason the US machines were able to take off is because the European mills were all destroyed or put out of business by the people who worked, owned, or invested in the manually run non-industrialized mills. If the Europeans hadn't so soundly rejected the new processes then industry in the US would have floundered by being unable to produce goods at competitive prices.

    Today we remember these angry Europeans -- who are infamous for storming the new mills and breaking the machines -- for the name of one of the most outspoken among them: George Ludd. Yes, they were the Luddites.

    Yes, the plans were stolen away to the US, but they were not being used in Europe because the technology was socially unacceptable!

    --
    The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
  7. Let's buy China's companies! by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Let's do China one better, and buy its tech companies and loot their assets! What's that you say? China has laws on the books prohibiting the sale or investment of companies which may damage its national interest? Entire industries are restricted? And there are parts of China's economy totally prohibited from any foreign investment whatsoever? Surely Europe and America can trust this country and not apply any reciprocal policies that fuck over China as much as China fucks over foreign firms.

    --
    Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  8. Re:China is becoming too powerful by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Flower children? You kidding? Nobody likes China. Trust me on that one, even the "left" people I know despise them for "betraying Marxism and turning it into Fascism". There is no "give China a chance" sentiment amongst anyone.

    Anyone but corporations wanting to produce cheap crap, that is.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.