Taking a slow boat to China? Or perhaps not, these days it's all aboard the high speed powerboat to markets full of Far Eastern promise! China is finally waking up to its full market potential and major players in the West want to get in on the act. At the same time, uncertainties in the economy and foreign investment legislation continue to hold back would-be participants -- but for how much longer? In line with increasing global interest in China, Industrial Minerals decided to test the water with its first conference in the People's Republic -- "China's Mineral Potential" (see -p.8 & J/.9). Therefore, this issue is somewhat dominated by the Middle Kingdom, encompassing the meeting's abstracts, and features on Chinese fused alumina and bauxite. There is no doubt that of all the countries currently profiled in the world's trade and business press, China is singled out most frequently for special treatment. Variously described as "the new superpower" and "the emerging economic powerhouse", China is attracting interest from a wide range of primary and secondary industries with the firm belief that this sleeping giant has truly awoken.
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