Recent Columns: Latest News Above Business Opportunities in Asia: March 2000 Columns   EAST. SOUTH,WEST, OR NORTH April 20, 2000 We are not talking Majong, a Chinese game also widely played by Jewish friends. In Mahjong, four persons sit on the four sides of a square table. The game is divided into four rounds, namely, first round -east wind; second round-south wind; third-west wind, and the last-north wind. Our column today talks about certain economic policies of PRC that are associated either with numbers or with directions. If a communist partisan does not know which way the political or economic wind blows, he is definitely doomed. As mainland of China is a land mass of very different topographies with numerous minorities (please see column of April 3, 1999, "Chinese Rivers are Going Northward/Westward"), any policy, economic or otherwise, should be evaluated and implemented carefully. We know of the following direction-oriented policies: 1. Water from the south must be made to go to the north because of the northern draughts and southern floods. 2. If the above is impossible, then move people from the south to the north. 3. Alternately, channel Xinjiang or Tibet water to the north. 4. Surplus power to be channeled to the east 5. Northwest (Xinjiang) gas to be piped to the east Among the above projects, a couple may be either too ambitious or imaginative. Nevertheless, we discern opportunities within, which will be useful to our readers. Do you favor a particular direction? Let us know and we shall debrief you as to what are the possible, profitable investments therein. 0, 0, 0 April 7, 2000 Zero, zero,zero, can anyone see anything in zero? None among us, nor the great magicians Houdini, David Copperfield, or Doug Hemming could do it . Nevertheless, reports out of the PRC say that certain persons with extra-sensory perception could see through envelopes and divulge the contents therein. In communist countries, particularly in PRC, any movement or policy is always accompanied by numbers in slogans. In this case: the 3 essentials for PRC’s economic growth - 3 ZERO’S, namely: 1. Zero growth of population by 2030 : This is of top priority in economic development. They wish to land at the stage of "low birth rate and low death rate". If and when this goal is realized, GDP (growth of domestic products) would rise by1.2-1.5% 2. Zero growth of energy and natural resources consumption by 2040. China, ever since customs records were kept, has been importing grain to fill the population’s rice bowls. Even with reports of increased oil exploration, PRC has also been importing crude oil by the millions of barrels to fill the gap in energy demand. The evident lack of natural resources is of great concern to the PRC. 3. Zero growth of environmental deterioration rate by 2050: There are shocking reports in PRC, such as: the seven major rivers , particularly those sections passing cities or towns, have been 70% polluted; acid rain cover 30% of the whole territory of China; land erosion has already taken hundred thousands of square km; desertification has also claimed hundred thousands of quare km...total loss = 4-8% of GDP. It looks reasonable to apply the 3-zero’s policy to solve these problems that burden the country. But does it look discouraging to investors from overseas? Not necessarily, if you can see through the zeroes with extra-perceptive sensing. Because, in this most populated of countries (although India’s population will soon overtake PRC), the number of "silver-haired" will ever grow. Services to them should be a big business need (please refer to my weekly column of september 6, 1999 "Hot Investments in PRC") Pollution control: Can you imagine that among 668 PRC cities, two thirds are surrounded by garbage? Annual increase thereof is 9%. Even the most conservative estimate predicts that by 2010, PRC’s city garbages could reach 264,000,000MT! Of course, there are a lot of business opportunities to help PRC cities become clean, or at least stay cleaner. Water pollution is serious and water shortage is even more serious. Whoever could provide PRC with any technology to tackle any of the above problems would become a multi-billionaire. If you wish to know more about the value of those "Zero’s", let us lend you our EXTRA-SENSORY PERCEPTION TALENTS E-mail: VJCHANG@hotmail.com Tel/Fax USA : (301) 438-7439