Georgians are buying Chinese. Not that Georgia...the other one, the country of Georgia.
At the end of last year there were some 550 Chinese citizens registered in Georgia. As of the first half of this year, the figure is nearly 10 times that.
Most of the goods that come from China are souveniers, jewellery, make-up and household goods....that are, of course, cheap.
One fellow in Georgia, according to www.iwpr.net said he bought a pair of sports shoes for about $2. The quality is not good, he said, but they are good looking. He hoped to wear them for at least two weeks!
In the first half of this year Georgia exported as much to China as it had all of last year...abt. $5.5 million.
Likewise, imports in the first six months are about equal to all of last year's imports ... abt $46 million.
Presently there are 404 Chinese businessmen and companies importing goods from China to Georgia while only 17 are sending things the other way.
What Georgia has to offer China is non-ferrous metals (copper and aluminum). What China has to offer Georgia is, well, um, everything.
China seems to be taking aim at more than just its eastern neighbors and the US. China, it is said, is intensely interested in Georgia's energy sector, particulary the construction of small hydroelectric plants.
China would also like to get in on the building of a railway that will cross into Turkey.
Hmm..China really is big. In interest and activities with other countries, too.
What do you think?
