Quotable

"We have very strong operations in China and we have invested about $1 billion. Out of this, more than $100 million has been spent on research and development. We have a good rhythm and we can be even better."

Inge Thulin, chief executive officer of 3M Corp, in describing how the company will capitalize on China's two drivers of economic growth, technology conversion and demographic changes.

"The fleet of 10 Boeing 787 jets can support five to six destinations in North America, but our long-term plan is to have eight destinations there."

Wang Yingming, executive vice-president of Hainan Airlines Co Ltd, in explaining how the company's current fleet is not large enough to expand internationally and that it will need to add more wide-body aircraft.

"The core of state-owned enterprise restructuring is not to change ownership from public to private, but to establish a modern enterprise system that can operate in a free market."

Zhao Linghuan, chairman of Hony Capital (Beijing) Co Ltd.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 04/03/2015 page18)