Regardless of the rough economic and investment environment that we’re currently in, all of these lemons have actually created some profitable investment opportunities — all of which lie in China, one of the few economies to still be posting solid economic growth and faring the current financial crisis slightly unscathed.

Many of these companies are actually set to benefit from the countless bailout and stimulus plans that the Chinese government has presented in order to boost economic growth within its borders.

Let’s take a look at these nine opportunities and the companies set to profit from these trends.

Lemon #1: Recession hits consumers hard.

Downscale is the new upscale, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, as you jostle with the fur-coat brigade down the aisles at Wal-Mart.

LEMONADE: Yum is best-positioned to win back the cost conscious consumer. But that’s not the only reason we’re loading upon Yum Brands (YUM), the owner of Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell.

Yum is booming despite the whack it took in October. It’s headed from $30 to $40 very quickly, I believe, and it could well hit $60 in 2009, based on Yum’s recession strategy. (See also: "Why China Will Shine in 2009.")

Three Reasons For A Double In Yum

Reason #1: As the economy slumps McDonald’s is mopping up. Visits to the Golden Arches jumped from 2.4 to 2.7 times a month in November. And diners are spending more, too: almost $20 a month, up from $17. Yum’s business is closely modeled on McDonald’s. Both chains saw some fatigue during the Go-Go Years, and both are back strongly in the Bust.

Reason #2: All economies are local economies. This is a lesson Yum has taught McDonald’s. New York is not New Orleans, Mumbai is not Shanghai. Yum’s success hinges on mass customization, in which the familiar is wrapped in the iconic. This is reassuring in times of great uncertainty, and Yum is a world leader in the art of reassurance. (See also: "Two Reasons Why McDonald’s Is So Resilient.")

Reason #3…

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Reason #3: Yum’s efficiency is so awesome it can still open 900 restaurants in 2009. Yum recently guided analysts higher for next year — one of very few companies able to do that.

Learn more about the case for a double in Yum in my Special Report, Lemons Into Lemonade: 9 Ways to Profit From the Recession, the Bailout, the Stimulus and the Great Deleveraging of 2009.

Click here for details on how to get your copy absolutely FREE. Your FREE report also reveals the nine stocks that are in the right place at the right time.

Lemon #2: Jobless claims skyrocket.

Again, this is a global problem. Unemployment creates a huge demand for companies that offer training in new skills.

LEMONADE: The workforce is learning to be mobile. London legal talent is flooding Hong Kong, architects are closing their offices in New York and decamping to Dubai and tech wizards in China are scrambling to learn English and grab a visa for Brisbane.

As China’s largest private education services company, New Oriental Education & Technology (EDU) is the way to play this powerful trend.

Enrollment is breaking all records, management owns 47% of the stock and there’s not a scrap of debt on the books. Buy it now — it’s our second doubler for 2009.

To get my most recent update on New Oriental Education, join China Strategy risk-free.

Lemon #3: Recession goes global.

For workers here, in Europe and across Asia, the slowdown feels like a crash and leaders, from Obama to Merkel to Putin, have a magic pill: infrastructure.

LEMONADE: the winner is aluminum. One pound of aluminum can replace three pounds of steel, making it the first choice in government-sponsored stimulus plans. (See also: "Alcoa: Aluminum Giant for Sale?")

Alcoa (AA), however, lacks the management and cost structure to beat its competition.

My China Strategy subscribers are up 82% in the last 4 weeks by investing in…

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…a global smelter that has been snapping up smaller operations at distress prices. It’s cheaper than Alcoa (a P/E of 2.7!) and has double Alcoa’s margins. Learn more in Lemons Into Lemonade, available FREE here.

Lemon #4: Healthcare costs spiral out of control.

Healthcare reform is no longer an option. That much is clear from President-elect Obama’s choice of Tom Daschle to head a new White House Office of Health Reform. The top issue is costs and the second issue is patient monitoring for the chronically sick.

Too many poor and elderly are simply falling through the cracks.

LEMONADE: We have identified a low-cost patient monitoring company that, in a single stroke, cuts capital expenditures by two-thirds AND enables patients with chronic diseases like diabetes to live safely at home, while being monitored remotely. Revenues, recently reported, doubled. Net income is up an even more impressive 139%. The stock got whacked in October, of course, but since then it’s back up 50%. Grab it while you can!

Lemon #5: Washington indecisive.

Without doubt, the upheaval in Washington has put our current troubles in the hands of entertainers instead of performers.

LEMONADE: Decisive intervention reaps higher profits, less risk. That’s why gold medal for handling this panic goes to Beijing. Not only does China’s currency reverse situation create stability, but China’s population is mercifully debt-free. Beijing’s two trillion dollar stimulus package was largely in place and working before the dust settled on the Lehman collapse.

First winners of this stimulus package are the big government-owned monopolies like CNOOC and Huaneng Power. Best of all is a state-owned telecom stock.

Over the 3 months that it will take Washington to reach a consensus, this telecom’s earnings will soar — and likely hand investors a fat double. Details in your FREE report, Lemons to Lemonade.

Lemon #6: None of us are safe.

The Mumbai bombings are a stark reminder: the world balances on a knife’s edge. Riots in Athens, chaos in Bangkok, extremism in Jerusalem — it is no secret that our very civilization is in peril.

LEMONADE…

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LEMONADE: Security systems companies are swamped with government contracts and yet their stocks are bargains (P/Es of 3 or 4).

Not for long, though. 2 -1 Identity Solutions, for example, is up 33% since November 20.

We’re buying a company that installs cameras on streets in cities and around sensitive installations nationwide. This is the system that could have saved many lives in Mumbai. The company controls manufacturing, installation and monitoring, making it a virtual monopoly. Details here.

Lemon #7: Less money for luxuries.

LEMONADE: The Gen Y set has more discretionary spending power than any of us right now. A video game that you can master in, say, 100 hours and costs $69 is a good deal for this audience when you consider that an outing to a 90-minute movie costs $40. Small revenges on life feel good. Buy this video game stock under $17.

Lemon #8: Don’t trust anyone.

LEMONADE: Precious metals sales are soaring again. This gold stock is beating the market.

Lemon #9: Foreclosures soar.

LEMONADE: A housing rescue will be a key theme of 2009. Buy the first beneficiary now — and don’t wait.

Start turning these lemons into lemonade and prepare for a New Year of profits by joining China Strategy risk-free today! You’ll save 50% of the regular rate and receive your free copy of 9 Ways to Profit From the Recession, the Bailout, the Stimulus and the Great Deleveraging of 2009. And if you don’t get the lemonade, you don’t pay a dime. You don’t risk anything! Click here now to get started.