Last week’s top tweets from our ChinaBlogTweets Twitter feed are below, along with some comments.

Comment: China is too big a place, and is moving too fast, for anyone to claim to be an “expert”. We prefer “specialist”, and we have a network of those, as each sector, function and location has its own special secrets! For the best China “expert” clichés, try searching for #fakechinaexpert on Twitter…

Comment: Talk of “emerging markets” has gone on long enough. China has surely emerged already! It may already be the biggest exporter, and is the third largest economy overall. It will eventually, of course, be the largest.

Comment: There are plenty of rich people in China, but like most Chinese statistics, while the percentages may be small, the absolute numbers are large. The wealth divide is a sticky political issue, and one that the government is working hard to address. More news on wealthy consumers is here.

Comment: China’s impact on the environment is massive, and its rate of urbanisation is accelerating. China wants the same living standards for its people, as enjoyed by those in the West. Getting agreement on how to achieve balance is critical and Greener China notes that in order to “better engage stakeholders in China, the climate change debate must be reframed in a way that resonates with individual worldviews.” No more lectures then. To be better informed, have a look at the China Greentech Report.

Comment: Corruption in China has been a topic here for a long time, and it is increasingly also becoming an issue in relation to China’s overseas direct investment (ODI). China risks reputational and commercial damage, as well as political fallout. Long-term access to international resources will require a careful approach from China. Anti-corruption efforts are ongoing, but more needs to be done.

Comment: We have said it before and will say it again, due diligence is important everywhere – and especially in a complex place like China. Enjoy the relationships, build the guanxi, but ignore the need for verification at your peril! We list some examples, and link to a guide, here.

Comment: The China consumer is a bit of an enigma, and products, brands and retail concepts do not always transfer well. The post quotes Paul French, of research company Access Asia: “They overestimated their brand recognition in China. I just think the concept is wrong.” It is not the first, and will not be the last. We posted on retail strategies here.

Comment: Obama got a lot of press on his China visit (and elsewhere). There were even “Obamao” T-shirts (odd bed fellows Obama and Mao…). Fallows makes the point that it is no good lecturing the Chinese leadership (or people). Good to see a pragmatic approach. In China it helps to be polite in public, and to keep some comments behind closed doors.

Comment: Confidence can become more and more fragile as a deal gets closer. Often we are asked to do due diligence at the last minute. While some checks can be done quickly, this is not the best approach. Early due diligence can not only limit risk, it can also provide crucial business intelligence to support negotiations. Do it early, and sleep well! See more here.

Comment: FDI was “up 5.7 percent year-on-year…$7.1 billion in FDI [in October], compared with more than $6.7 billion in October 2008”. But the total for the 1st 10 months was still down, “$70.87 billion, down 12.6 percent from the same period of 2008”.

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