Is it poor knowledge of English, or some other reason, that makes this government-release heading sound like a threat?
Poor knowledge of English certainly does come into play. The use of ‘Malta’ with ‘our’ indicates that they are two different entities and not the same one.
Note to the DOI:
1. Malta should now attract Chinese investment to its shores.
2. We should now attract Chinese investment to our shores.
Both are grammatically correct, unlike the DOI heading. Neither, however, is idiomatically correct. That would be:
3. Malta should now attract Chinese investment.
‘To our/its shores’ is redundant – and that’s quite apart from the fact that ‘to our shores’ is used for stuff – OBVIOUSLY – that is shipped in and comes over the water.
Somebody please give the DOI the definition of ‘shore’, as I am currently taken up with mental images of Chinese financial services coming into the Freeport on container ships, to be met by the awful Ronnie Pellegrini and creepy Aaron Farrugia.
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http://gov.mt/en/Government/Press%20Releases/Press%20Photos/Pages/2013/October/20/pr2320.aspx
All your base are belong to us, what?
Daphne… These people are well on the road to ruining the reputation this country has earned since 1987 (a two-year period obviously excluded). Do you really think they are going to lose any sleep over bad English?
The answer to your question is: both.
Most of the people entrusted with sensitive positions are somehow semi-literate. They are incompetent but presumptuous.
Who is to say that the Chinese workers will not be shipped in to the Freeport.
And in sealed containers too, I presume.
And most probably fakes
And with a Maltese passport, each one of them, issued for the price of Euro 25,000 (except for one), because they claim they come from the same family…
Lejn xtutna will soon become xawattna …at this rate we may lose everything instead of attracting something new
Jew forsi se jkun hemm Karmenu Vella jistennihom.