According to the China Machine Tool and Tool Builders Association, engineering manufacturers in China rely too heavily on imported key components.  Ninety percent of digital-control systems are of foreign origin.

In a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi, Bill Gates and Rick Wagoner apparently praised China’s “unprecedented progress” on IPR protection.  For his part, Wu “told them the Chinese government has all along attached great importance to IPR protection, and has made positive efforts in legislation and law enforcement to protect IPR.”

Last year Wal-Mart unionized its stores in China, and now McDonalds has announced it will allow more unions in its outlets.  This news comes two weeks after McDonalds and Yum Brands were accused of underpaying their employees in Guangdong; a subsequent investigation found the companies were not compliant with Chinese law.  However, McDonalds downplayed the relationship between the announcement and its recent bad press, pointing out its stores already had unions, and that they had been in discussions with Guangdong labor officials on the matter since November of last year.