Quotable

"I think the regulation should be deleted, because it forced many people to change their nationalities to help their companies go public overseas through a red-chip model. After their companies are listed, they became foreigners and have to face misunderstandings and unfair blame."

Liu Jipeng, dean of the Capital Research Center of China University of Political Science and Law, saying that the 2006 regulation is a major obstacle for the overseas listing plans of China's small and medium-sized companies. During the past six years, hundreds of people had to change their nationalities to help their companies go public overseas.

"I don't agree that China's investment in Africa is something to do with 'new colonialism' or 'pillage of natural resources'. It is more economic rather than political."

Keith Jefferis, former deputy governor of the Bank of Botswana, commenting on China's role in Africa during a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency. Jefferis says African countries need the investment to develop their natural resources and infrastructure.

"Traffic congestion is not your fault, it's mine."

Xia Baolong, Party chief of Zhejiang province, telling Ma Yun, chairman and CEO of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, during a recent conference in Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang. Ma was late in arriving at the meeting after being stuck in a traffic jam. Xia promised that the province would take all the required steps to ease the congestion problem.

(China Daily 01/04/2013 page2)