| From the apple orchards in eastern Washington state to the citrus groves in central and southern California, and in the centers of high-technology activity up and down the West Coast, China looks ever more fraught with promise as the People's Republic continues to embrace a market-based economy and to modernize its transportation and communications systems.
At the same time, no one has any illusions; in terms of culture and technological progress, China is not the West. Regulatory and tariff barriers remain, and their disappearance is expected to be slow even if China gains admission to the World Trade Organization.
Moreover, the lag in infrastructural development on the mainland dictates that for some time to come, much of the cargo moving to China will get there through Hong Kong.
"In the overall market to Asia, China is one of the bright spots," an executive with a major containership operator said. "Across the board, year upon year for the past several years, there¹s been an increase in overall volume into Hong Kong or China."
While spending by the Chinese government goes mainly for durable goods, consumer products traffic is nonetheless increasing because of growth of the middle class, the executive said. "Citizens have more ready cash to buy consumer items, from fancy cars to clothing. Both the consumer and manufacturing sectors are constantly inclining," the executive said.
Raw materials also are in demand because of a boom in chemical industry activity; products are required to support not only manufacturing processes but also factory construction projects, the executive said.
Semiconductor manufacturers have seen 20 percent annual growth in sales to China over the past five years, and that is expected to continue, said Anne Craib, director of international trade and government affairs for the Santa Clara, California-based Semiconductor Industry Association. Sales were at an estimated $8 billion in 1998, though it is difficult to get a precise figure because of smuggling and statistics-collection problems in the PRC, Craib said.
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