英国《每日电讯报》25/07/2007 . z/ z. G1 W9 x5 z" ? 5 v2 r* p" m9 [ ! A/ v, T8 C- R8 R( ?0 r [9 i9 r) i& U9 M
' ?- ^5 N( M( H oWhy doing business with the dragon is a Chinese puzzle+ C9 ?7 q6 |' _- M
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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? 3 g* g! F: a2 H 8 R! v/ {& D' `. bBy 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. * h$ R( Y1 S5 L6 N( T7 U ) I" ?! |! U% N/ ]Far more significant, however, is the long-term "guanxi" (relationship) that Barclays has established with the world's powerhouse of growth. ; o; B! A- J; R3 R! E9 p 0 d* ^; P1 a0 q- s" x+ b. W! [8 J% s* O7 h- ~ A( V: j/ b