Hindsight is always 20/20, but as an anecdote I can attest that in 200 (when I started my 9 year stint), optimism about China was much greater than the way it eventually turned out. Back then, China was opening up, most major foreign websites were still unblocked, a lot of foreigners thought they could actually make their futures there, and they were being egged on by the Chinese government and institutions in agreement.

Of course, the reality turned out to be way different, but back then everyone had already sunk their costs. BTW, not everyone in the article is from the US, Blue Frog for one thing is most definitely Australian (who else puts beets on their burgers?).