A telling extract ...

"
'China is very much a standout in 2002,' said Mr Michael Kurtz, an economist at Bear Stearns Asia in Hongkong. 'It's the only major economy that is firing on all cylinders.'

China, whose economy is about the same size as Italy's, is growing faster than its major trading partners.

The United States expanded by 3.3 per cent in the third quarter from a year earlier, Japan grew 1.5 per cent and Germany grew 0.4 per cent.
"

Cheers

Doug Marker
(Pity Hong Kong is missing out - HK is in worst recession since Korean war & worse is to come - by contrast Macao is set for growth & has signed up with three major (2 US 1 Chinese) Casino operators to greatly expand the Casino business there)