Two aspects of our relationship have come up repeatedly in my meetings this week. The first is the importance of thinking long-term even as we work through the issues of the day. The second is the importance of finding ways to unlock the immense but largely unrealized potential in our commercial relationship. The infrastructure investment issue highlights the importance of both. Perhaps more than any other investment, infrastructure is long-term in perspective.
Projects often take years to complete.
Investments are estimated over decades. One of the companies with us is ARCO, and it took 17 years from the time they signed up to explore for gas in China, until gas flowed out of the pipeline. These projects benefit more than a company's bottom line. Their impact spills out into the broader economy. So government should play a key role in creating an environment that is supportive of such investments.