Should we lease a city to the Chinese?

International investment & trade is a bit more complicated than that.

It is, in fact, not possible to lease a city or urban area - doing so would mean the county council would lose jurisdiction over the area.
I understand your argument of wanting increased investment in post-industrial cities, but that's the job of the regional and state governments.

I swear they have a China town, in every major city around the world?

Lol.

They have tonnes of poorly educated people they can use for slave labour, why do they want self-entitled Northerners they will have to pay minimum wage?

From what I've read, the Chinese usually like to build their own infrastructure in the area. They were planning a new town in the US owned entirely by a Chinese company, employing Chinese workers and subject to Chinese laws, if it was approved... but the American public didn't like the idea of leasing land to the Chinese because it gave rise to the spectre of the Chinese being allowed to buy the entire US and govern it.

They would have essentially manufactured stuff in the US just like they would have in China, and not had to ship it very far. We would have just defined a manufacturing facility and worker's bunkers as Chinese territory like an embassy or something. I'm not sure whether Chinese troops or private security would have been guarding it, though.

One of the benefits to the US economy from this would have been that the worker's children would be close to Universities where they could go to school, and possibly even spend money within the US easily. Although the town would be totally self-contained just like the ones in China where the workers live and sleep, etc. They were planning three such locations, but the idea was scrapped.

Perhaps you could work out something similar with the Chinese, if there's any undeveloped land you'd be willing to give them? I can't imagine there's much undeveloped land in Britain, though. The population density is pretty high.

Well we can be flexible on minimum wage laws. They'll be closer to their core markets, save on shipping costs and might be able to enter markets even further afield.

Real talk.


Just gotta make sure these chavs can speak English as well as the average Chinese peasant.

Current Chinese minimum wage rates vary between about 90p an hour and £1.70 an hour, depending on the province.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_China

I am quite sure that many in the current Tory government would be happy to see a new special economic zone in the UK with those labour rates, run directly from Beijing. It would of course involve a substantial hedge fund involvement by friends of David Cameron and George Osborne, plus a percentage on the side to Tory funds and Goldman Sachs.

Liverpool would seem the likeliest candidate, although cities like Bristol, Sheffield or Nottingham, regarded by Whitehall as dumping grounds, would also be considered suitable.

All human rights would be suspended and labour camps opened. As in China, fair trials would be abolished and prisoners denied an independent defence. The sentence in most cases would be death by firing squad. Also, as in China, organs would be removed prior to execution for sale to foreign buyers. (Including many well off British people who currently have to visit hospitals in China to receive their stolen organs.)

Current Chinese minimum wage rates vary between about 90p an hour and £1.70 an hour, depending on the province.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_China

I am quite sure that many in the current Tory government would be happy to see a new special economic zone in the UK with those labour rates, run directly from Beijing. It would of course involve a substantial hedge fund involvement by friends of David Cameron and George Osborne, plus a percentage on the side to Tory funds and Goldman Sachs.

Liverpool would seem the likeliest candidate, although cities like Bristol, Sheffield or Nottingham, regarded by Whitehall as dumping grounds, would also be considered suitable.

All human rights would be suspended and labour camps opened. As in China, fair trials would be abolished and prisoners denied an independent defence. The sentence in most cases would be death by firing squad. Also, as in China, organs would be removed prior to execution for sale to foreign buyers. (Including many well off British people who currently have to visit hospitals in China to receive their stolen organs.)

So it's a deal then!?

I love the bit where you don't take her seriously.

I'm not sure why the Chinese would want to set up factories making widgets in the UK when they can make widgets in China at a fraction of the cost. Unless we are happy to see wages cut to about a third of what they currently are or less, we can not compete with Chinese and Indian factories that high unskilled and semi skilled labour.

That doesn't mean we have to be defeated. It just means we have to get smart. I am still unsure of how to occupy those who fit into the unskilled / semi-skilled bracket though. We only need so many plumbers.