The sunny optimism of Paul Hulme, a senior executive at Huntsman, the US chemicals group, reflects a dramatic recovery in the Asian economy since March which has raised hopes that the region is experiencing a sustainable V-shaped recovery rather than entering a bumpy or W-shaped rebound.
Mr Hulme is having a good summer. After a huge fall in sales over the six months to March, the division he heads up as global chief executive for textile chemicals has bounced back so much he is forecasting a 10 per cent rise in Asian revenue for the year
Yet Mr Hulme admits he is uncertain that the crisis is really over. All the growth in his division's sales this year has been in Asia. But its chemical and dye production facilities in China, India and elsewhere are running below capacity, hit by persistent sluggish demand from the US and Europe.