英国《每日电讯报》25/07/2007 4 q# e, P! V' B, v: H" @ 6 L# X1 K. ]9 h0 d E* S7 U; L5 D; `. A4 r& S7 E$ ?2 J+ q
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Why doing business with the dragon is a Chinese puzzle + S0 I7 e+ E9 K- h9 e 2 J6 N2 a& r& @2 s m; ]1 R- I: O" V( p D# a. \6 Y# f
Barclays' 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?4 a( Z& d) ^, G3 W7 }6 G
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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. 8 y# z1 A0 h9 N# X2 b1 m. k ~ n2 d$ m4 R. C' |$ m4 p% \5 B
Far more significant, however, is the long-term "guanxi" (relationship) that Barclays has established with the world's powerhouse of growth. ' e* C) `4 U! ^! f" k m3 A5 y& f9 h2 o n" R, C. f1 o% v5 K Y6 v
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