Valleywag
Who says there's no such thing as karma? A couple of years ago, Yahoo and its cofounder Jerry Yang did the Chinese government a big favor. Something about putting mouthy writers in jail. And now, the New York Times reports, a law that goes into effect this August will make the Chinese government Yang's best hope for fending off Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
The law will make China the "third sphere of regulatory influence, matching the power of the European Union and the United States," the Times reports. That means Beijing can block anticompetitive mergers if they involve Chinese companies or investments in China. Even more conveniently, Beijing can consider national security issues in its review. And if China were to block a Microsoft-Yahoo merger and blame it on national security concerns? Well, let's just say it wouldn't be the first time such an arrangement worked out in Yang's favor. His mother, who fled Communist China for Taiwan, where Yang was born, must be so proud. (Photo by ford)
Comments
Why can't us chinkies just all get along.
Harry "making whitey feel uncomfortable but less physically intimidating than a brotha" Wang
The law will make China the "third sphere of regulatory influence"
This will be wonderful.
@Dweezil: Sweet! I hate how I'm not allowed to pour my old used motor oil down the storm drain. What a pain in the ass!
No doubt as proud as your mother must be of you.
Wasn't there some bunch of shareholders suing because Yahoo didn't want to merge with Microsoft? Wonder if they'd back down if faced with the Chinese government's opposition?
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?