China has roughly 20 percent of the world’s population but only roughly 6 percent of its arable land.  Further, as China develops that 6 percent of arable land is likely to decrease.  This poses huge issues re: feeding its population in the future.  Read the following front page Wall Street Journal article, “Giant Neighbors Russia, China See Fault Lines Start to Appear” (see also related article) [subscription may be required].  What do these article suggest is one way China can help ease its food problem?  What present and future geopolitical issues does this pose for Russia and China?  What about the US?  Is this development good or bad for the US?

Read the following Wall Street Journal article, “What’s Going on in China?” re: corporate transparency.   What are the pros and cons of this disclosure system?  How does this differ from the US?  In your view is this a baby step or a major step for China in combatting the argument by the West that “everything done in China is corrupt, done in the shadows, corporate transparency is a joke, etc.?”

I hope to set up a visit for us to a textile factory in China.  Chinese factories as a whole are often criticized for being inefficient, making shoddy products, etc.  That may or may not be true, depending on the item, factory and industry.  But in the case of textiles, if we assume that is true, what business opportunities does this front page Wall Steet Journal article, “Clothes Made Abroad Create Factory Jobs in LA for Mr. Fix-It“, indicate are presented to, at least, entrepreneurs in the Los Angeles fashion district?  What other business opportunities do you see coming out of such defect work?  Does this article take the wind out of the argument by many trade protectionists in the US that once a job leaves the US (e.g., textile manufacturing) that no comparable jobs come back our way?  Discuss.