During a recent radio interview, John Key piously likened the ETS as 'Insurance to maintain our clean green image”.

Meanwhile Chinese pragmatic entrepreneurs, the antithesis of the 'Green Image” and unfettered by any halos that may slip and strangle them, have upped their economic assault on the European markets, with virtual military precision, by securing footholds at two strategic European entry points.

Selecting two of the most cash-strapped countries, Ireland and Greece, they are about to develop massive forwarding facilities, one in Athlone, Ireland, already being dubbed,”Beijing-on Shannon”, with plans to build an entire town and trade centre, business facilities, five star hotels, plus the infrastructure for forwarding Chinese goods to Europe for entry at preferential rates accorded them under the EU system.

The Chinese state-owned shipping giant, Cosco has taken over part of the Arthenian port of Piraeus in a 2.8 billion pound deal to lease the area for the next 35 years, also investing 47 million pounds in upgrading the port facilities, tripling the volume of cargo it can handle.

Remember Nick Smith's wail, ”If we don't have an ETS, 'they” won't deal with us”?.
I wonder if operating an ETS was a prerequisite of the new Empire Builders.

Frank Smead, Mount Maunganui.