The Current Discussion: China's on a resource-buying spree, most recently paying US$13 billion for a stake in an Australian mining company. Is this a threat to your nation and its economy? To the world's?

I could say yes, China is a threat, because the obvious target of this particular movement is to counter the global aspirations of Brazil’s largest mining company, Vale. China is right now challenging Vale on a bid to buy part of the U.K.-Swiss company Xstrata, another global and diversified mining company. The Brazilian Vale has already made an offer to buy Xstrata, and now China is announcing its interest in buying a 34-percent share of the company.

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