Ohhhh, How the Tables Have Turned

By Alicia Dorr in News on Nov 14, 2006 4:04PM

With its brand new capitalist outlook — don't tell them that's what it is — China is gobbling up shares of American investments at a "torrid pace" (the Trib's $5 word for the day). Where in the past businesses would have run at a steady pace away from the behemoth country, most are now scrambling to make sure Chinese investors are watching them, and Chicago's are no exception.

World Business Chicago and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs commissioned a study to see where Chicago stood on the Chinese business radar, and, so far, the findings aren't terrible. While many people interviewed who knew the city well still view Chicago in that totally played-out "second city" light, many of the 200 Chinese executives and businessmen surveyed actually gave the city high marks for potential future investment. Well, there were some who only knew about Michael Jordan, but what are you gonna do?

While the results aren't disheartening for businesses in the city looking to get a piece of China's ridiculously large economy, the study confirms that there is some work to be done. Apparently, the city is now "The bridge to North America," which we always heard was the Bering Strait, but that's soooo 13,000 years ago. Besides that being put on banners in Beijing, Mayor Daley has started to jetset to the country, Chicago Public Schools has a large Chinese language program, efforts to open an investment office in Shanghai are speeding up, and we're all expected to know how to use chopsticks and those little relaxing jingle balls by Spring 2007. You drop any part of that spring roll and you're outta here, buddy.