Screenshots

MCA president Ong Tee Keat leads a delegation to Beijing to make a political party-to-party call on China, his first after taking over the helm of the ever-fueding race-based organisation.

He postures that Malaysia can learn from China on how the world’s most populous country copes with the present global economic crisis.

Positioned as an MCA outing, but among Ong's delegation members are two Umnoputras, former Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin and tycoon Syed Mokhtar Shah Syed Nor Al-Bukhary.

Image lifted from Guangming Daily

Ong's oriental hope came at a time when China’s economy may have expanded at the slowest pace in seven years in Q4 last year as exports collapsed, adding to pressure for more stimulus measures and undermining growth across Asia.

According to Bloomberg yesterday, China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.8% from a year earlier, based on the median estimate of 12 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News -- down from 9% in the previous three months.

Someone must tell Ong to wait for Bloomberg's data on China that is due to be released this week.

Just hours ago, Associated Press filed a story saying that, due to a major slowdown in global demand, jobless migrants have started to flood back to China's villages, "where wrinkled grandparents and ruddy-faced schoolchildren are the only residents for most of the year:

China has an estimated 150 million such rural migrants lynching on its socio-economic grids.

It's crisis time in China. In November, when I was visiting South China, Premier Wen Jiabao has to launch a 4 trillion yuan ($585 billion) package to boost domestic consumption. More is in the offing.

In times like this, let's hope China has time for Ong, Daim and Syed Mokhtar and the likes. Judging from past records, the two Umnoputras are historically two super money wizards that Malaysia can't live without. I am sure they ain't there for the China Dolls nor the bells-and-whistles of a high-roller's junket. I would expect them to help plug any Black Holes that this round of economic crisis has induced. And, perhaps, make some bucks for weekend spending for themselves.