Just Making Ends Meet

Who best to grease the skids in your business dealings with totalitarian regimes? Why, the guy with the proven track record!

"Oil, I don't know what for you talk for. Oil - I put that in my car."

(The CEO of PETROKAZ has an interesting resume.)

Of course, this isn't a full time gig. The dance card started filling a few months ago.

Mr. Chrétien is expected to hold meetings with CITIC's top executives, who plan to visit Canada this year. Chinese sources say he also has tentative plans to meet next week with top executives of Unicom, one of China's two main cellphone companies.

He'll be accompanied by his son-in-law, André Desmarais, the president of Power Corp., who is a director of CITIC Pacific Ltd., the Hong Kong affiliate of the CITIC group.

The subject of their meetings is unknown. But Power Corp. has extensive business interests in China, including property development in Shanghai's booming Pudong district and a joint venture with Bombardier to manufacture railway cars in the coastal city of Qingdao.

All in the family. (This is the Desmarais family with major holdings in PetroFinaElf .. the French oil company who had billions in contracts at stake in Saddam's Iraq.)

Right after Chrétien retired from the PM's office, Warren Kinsella appeared on local talk radio. When a caller brought up the family connection between Chrétien and Desmarais - he interrupted, threatened to sue the station, and the caller was cut off.

Nice touch and such a loving reminder of the old man.

Hey, maybe while he's there, he can have someone dig up Zahra Kazemi and ship her home. It's not like she has to stick around for the trial.

Crossposted at the Shotgun

Posted by Kate at May 25, 2004 11:22 PM