英国《每日电讯报》25/07/2007 " j) r/ V9 z% g; u% ? ; l8 V, [+ A) [ ]# Q0 Y5 d) R# | 1 P) p3 }5 }0 X' H5 e. a& X% A& F$ z4 A( B- m
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Why doing business with the dragon is a Chinese puzzle' T$ C9 {" m3 [
# r1 M- u2 r M* q8 E $ |3 ?) X: h PBarclays' chief executive, John Varley, is not the sort to bang back a few lagers at lunchtime. But who could blame him for sinking a Tsingtao beer with his chow mein and chips, after the deal he has just done with the Chinese? 0 s1 m. Z: T9 I z4 Y4 O* @$ U2 H+ z6 O! D+ _
By securing an investment of up to £6.6bn from the state-owned China Development Bank (CDB), Varley has boosted Barclays' chances in its battle with Royal Bank of Scotland to buy the Dutch bank, ABN Amro. : i5 W* x. f" a. _! {8 n: w, m K4 f# A2 r
Far more significant, however, is the long-term "guanxi" (relationship) that Barclays has established with the world's powerhouse of growth. # A$ g1 R# Z% A' d/ k+ C% o1 I, \# q7 U l- q
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