Copy China and invest abroad, says Medvedev / Big groups to lead Russian buying spree

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s most likely next president, called on Russian business people on 31 January 2008 to copy China and go on a global buying spree of foreign companies to bolster the economy and cut dependence on technology from abroad. In his first speech to Russian big business since being named by Vladimir Putin as his preferred successor, Mr Medvedev pledged Kremlin support for companies seeking assets abroad.