The revaluation debate rages on…
http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3982328
… the extent to which a renminbi revaluation will serve America (and other’s) purposes is explored in the article. My 2p however is that their aims are significantly better served by keeping their mouths shut, certainly an ultimatum is not the way to go. A little cultural awareness will go a long way on this one.

Just found this, it’s nearly a year old but and very US focused but a good piece on why the west should not fear the economic impact of China.
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20040701faessay83405-p0/george-j-gilboy/the-myth-behind-china-s-miracle.html

So your thought for today is a 13 hundred year old poem in Chinese, enjoy.

將進酒(bringing in the wine) by Chinese Tang Dynasty poet 李白(Li Bai)

君不見
黃河之水天上來
奔流到海不復回
君不見
高堂明鏡悲白髮
朝如青絲暮成雪
人生得意須盡歡
莫使金樽空對月
天生我材必有用
千金散盡還復來
烹羊宰牛且為樂
會須一飲三百杯
岑夫子
丹丘生
將進酒
君莫停
與君歌一曲
請君為我側耳聽
鐘鼓饌玉不足貴
但願長醉不願醒
古來聖賢皆寂寞
惟有飲者留其名
陳王昔時宴平樂
斗酒十千恣讙謔
主人何為言少錢
徑須沽取對君酌
五花馬
千金裘
呼兒將出換美酒
與爾同消萬古愁

Text and translation from http://www.chinapage.org/libai/libai2e.html

US imposes quotas on Chinese textile imports…
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/14/business/worldbusiness/14textiles.html
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000006&sid=ayjQXR.YkLfM&refer=home

… contrast with EU progress on the same issue…
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/0db0b718-c284-11d9-866a-00000e2511c8.html.

Well as promised here it is – the Santana I’ve hired.

go on laugh it up.

Well in what seems like the blink of an eye we’ve gone from snow to tree splitting heat. Since I last posted winter has whizzed through spring and we’re in summer.

I’m on the road now, albeit in an old Santana hire car but hey – I get to re-live the excitement of the freedom that having a car brings again. The car (I’ll post a pic when I remember to take one) is a bit rubbish. It was built in the early nineties, I think, but it’s older technology – a lot of components in common with a mark 2 Golf but with non of the charm.

I’ve taken holiday to coincide with the Chinese public holiday. This I should do more often, it’s been a pleasant couple of days and I’ve made some progress with the Flash Card app (in /projects).