Fund-rich, technologically savvy companies eager to storm this last bastion of communism will invest billions of dollars. Banking systems, rutting for half a century, will be oiled to efficiency. Hectares and hectares of arable land tilled by many will benefit from modern agricultural methods and even a dose of genetically engineered organisms.

State-run companies will be brought to their knees by international competitors. Jobs will be lost before more are created. Civil servants will succumb, tempted by the colour of money. Hundreds of domestically produced goods will collect dust on shelves as millions of Chinese consumers opt for cheaper, better-quality imports.

During this bloodletting, the strong and competitive will be spared while others will undergo the painful healing process brought on by market reforms.

Strength and recovery will be swiftest for those who see China not merely as a billion-strong market but as a partner – sometimes contentious and strong-willed but eager to learn and succeed.

-- Athle W. Estacio