Fareastdriver,
I opine that this is just the beginning of the helicopter industry in China. It is a huge country with a lot of potential and a largely under developed industry.
I do agree that for the airlines industry, since most of them require international routes and ICAO standards, foreign pilots are desired. But in a terms of expertise and knowledge transfer, there still is a value for foreign pilots. I was once told by a Chinese friend that as China develops, more 'enlightened' Chinese company owners realise that it is important to infuse foreigners for their experiences. She also said that although China's populace is huge, the 'law of average' doesn't really work because of their education system and their traditional norms of compliance. In simple terms, they have a large population of 'mediocre' and low percentage of 'talents'.
Back to this topic, I still think that there are some openings for foreign talents in these companies, perhaps beyond just pilots.