Some of the furore can be dismissed as unwarranted sinophobia. Mr Albanese points out that these types of joint ventures, even with potential customers, are not uncommon in mining. And many analysts agree that Mr Albanese has wrested a decent price for the slices of his assets in a depressed market. But some critics contend that some of these mines are ripe for the sort of expansion that could greatly boost their value when times are less tough. If so, it seems that Chinalco, after losing heavily on its first investment in Rio, has struck a better deal this time.