Australian Paul Davies is set to make sweet music with one of the mainland's

PAUL Davies loves Shanghai. The booming port city gives the genial Australian a huge buzz. And unlike many, he enjoys doing business on the mainland.

'You hear all those horror stories about foreigners being ripped off, but the truth is a lot of them deserve it because their approach is to rape and pillage, and the Chinese get sick of being screwed,' Mr Davies observes.

'Building up trust makes all the difference. I've been going to China for five years and made some good friends there.' Among them are Shanghai's top violin specialists. And Mr Davies' rapport with them is at least partly why the 40-year-old musical instrument maker from Castlemaine, Victoria, has succeeded where a Goliath-like competitor has conspicuously failed.

'I was stunned to learn that Suzuki was knocked back a couple of years ago,' Mr Davies says.

'It's still incredible to think China's largest, most esteemed violin maker chose me instead of the Japanese giant.

'When they asked me what I'd like to call our new company, I had to admit I hadn't thought of a name, so they suggested one. I was deeply touched that they put my company's name first.' The recently launched Arts Music China Corporation - a joint venture between Mr Davies' company Arts Music and the Shanghai Violin Factory - is a tremendous coup for the Australian who, with his partners, will produce an exclusive range of violins for the world market.

The venture, which will give employment to about 100 technicians and administrative staff in Shanghai and double Mr Davies' current team of five, is sure to raise eyebrows. One reason is the music world's suspicion of China-made violins due to the glut of cheap student instruments and, at the other end of the scale, superficially 'perfect' violins whose poorly seasoned woods often cause problems.