Ordinarily, many businessmen complain, local officials in Chinese cities are notoriously inaccessible.

Daco and a fellow businessman, both local shoe manufacturers, complained that 31 of 32 items they need for making shoes come from Serbia.

Nonetheless, some hardheaded businessmen who have worked with Moynihan on local issues complain about lack of follow-up after the eloquent speech is done.

Diplomats and businessmen complain that wide Canadian exposure to American news produces surprisingly little understanding.

"They take longer showers than we do," one businessman complained.

An agitated businessman at the other end of the line complained that a water pipe was leaking in his hotel room.

But businessmen complain of unfair competition from Paraguay, where political and military forces are believed to protect or even own the main smuggling franchises.

African businessmen have long complained of an increase in Chinese businesses, especially in Senegal.

"You have to pay bribes every step of the way to get anything done in Government offices," a businessman who recently returned from an African country complained.

Many businessmen are complaining that this recession is even worse than that of the early 1980s (especially in engineering - see next page).