Forbes Flip Flops on Chinese Businessman Li Ka Shing

What a difference 7 years make…

Steve Forbes, December 21, 1999, as quoted in Worldnetdaily.com:

“Clearly, President Clinton and Vice President Gore are not telling the American people the truth about their relationship with Communist China,” stressed Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes, in an exclusive interview with WorldNetDaily.

“We all know why,” he continued. “You can see it in how they react, such as the Hong Kong company Hutchison Whampoa that got the concession on both sides of the canal. The same company was involved in California with the U.S. Naval base at Long Beach. Not to mention the way they blindly allowed our nuclear secrets to be stolen. I think there, the (Clinton/Gore) administration did not think that keeping secrets was all that important.

“…Referring to Hutchison Whampoa, Forbes stated, “I do know they have relations with the Beijing government even though they vigorously deny it, and say they are independent. So why take the risk of allowing them to control…”

Steve Forbes, June 26, 2006, as quoted on the Li Ka Shing Foundation Website:

“Singapore, Monday, 26 June 2006 – Forbes Inc announced today that Li Ka-shing, Chairman of Hong Kong-based Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL), will be the first recipient of the Malcolm S. Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award.

“The Award, named for Forbes’ legendary chairman, honors a lifetime of achievement as a hero of entrepreneurial capitalism. It is the highest form of recognition of global business success bestowed by Forbes Inc on a single individual. Above all, the recipient should embody and exemplify the ideals of free enterprise. The Award is open to entrepreneurs from any country or field of business. Candidates are selected by the Forbes family and senior management of Forbes Inc.

“Mr Li, 78, will receive the Award from Steve Forbes, President and CEO of Forbes Inc, and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazine, at the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Singapore on September 5, 2006.

“Mr Forbes said: ‘Few entrepreneurs in Asia, indeed in the world, have achieved so much from such humble beginnings, building a business empire which spans 54 countries and multiple industries.'”

Forbes forgot to mention that Mr. Li has a seat on the Communist Chinese government’s “Commission on Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.”

I guess it’s just another form of free market globalization that we should be celebrating! I’m glad no American business execs qualify for the award – that shows we’ve been out-sourcing “just right!” Wonder what Forbes gets for this?