I have changed my mind about the Dubai Port deal. Why? It's a very good reason, actually. I was very suspicious of them until I read in a commentary about them that they managed a port in Hong Kong and, as I recall, three in China. If the Communists in China trust DP to manage their ports, then maybe they aren't that much of a security risk. I must be high as a kite, you're thinking. No, actually, I think that if one of the most paranoid regimes on Earth sees no harm in letting them operate on their ports, there probably is little cause for concern. We do still need to scrutinize the UAE government and DP, but if everything checks out, I think it's worth allowing to go through.
The cold, hard truth is that China takes its security deadly seriously compared to how we treat our security. If their screenings show no major cause for concern, then I think this is probably a pretty safe way to go.
You need to rethink your decision and not base your change of mind on the reading of one commentary. China hasn't been having a "problem" with terrorism as the U.S. China may take their security seriously, but this country has had to be even more serious since there are many terrorists that could have, potentially, taken advantage of DP World once they took over the six port facilities in the U.S.
Consider what went into the decision not to have DP World approved:
On February 28, 2006, the CNN.com Website reported that Sen. Susan Collins (chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) which has jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security and is the Senate’s chief oversight committee) went into a closed session with the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee to discuss the Coast Guard's December 2005 report about DP World, which had planned to purchase P&O, the British-based operator of cargo terminals at six port facilities in the U.S. The Coast Guard report stated that "There are many intelligence gaps concerning the potential for DPW or P&O assets to support terrorist operations that precludes an overall threat assessment of the potential merger." Sen. Collins had questioned whether the Coast Guard's concerns had been addressed before an administration committee approved the DP World-P&O transaction. "I know the administration disagrees, but I can only conclude that there was a rush to judgementâ€â€Âthat there wasn't the kind of painstaking, thorough analysis that needed to be done despite serious questions being raised, and despite the wide variety of involvement by agencies," Sen. Collins said. DP World withdrew its proposal over the furor it caused in Washington, DC.