New Shanghai-Nanjing High Speed Railway Cuts Travel Time

By Joyce Roque

Jul. 5 – The new high speed train from Shanghai to Nanjing, which began operations on Jul. 1, has cut travel time between cities from at least three hours to about one hour and 40 minutes with prices 56 percent higher than regular trains.

Ticket prices begin at RMB146 for a one way second-class seat and RMB233 for a one way first-class seat. The difference in comfort between the two is not huge. The second-class seats have five people per row or 100 people per carriage as opposed to first class with only 80 people per carriage.

The second-class seat is comfortable enough for a nap with ample leg space and reclining seats for even the tall expatriate. There is a retractable desk behind every seat that is the right size for reading or writing in addition to a spacious overhead storage shelf. Read the rest of this entry »

Manzhouli, China’s Gateway to Russia and Eastern Europe

By Chris Devonshire-Ellis

May 26 – Manzhouli is not a port that readily springs to mind when discussing China’s imports and exports, but it is the gateway through which an astonishing 60 percent of all of China’s trade to and from Russia and the rest of Eastern Europe pass. It is by far China’s largest inland port of entry, and borders Russia and Mongolia, earning it a unique status as a tri-country region.

Manzhouli borders the Russian city of Zabaykalsk with a free trade zone that allows residents from both sides to cross visa free. The area also includes an economic processing zone, while the local government has adopted a series of policies to boost border trade since the city was designated as an international port of entry in 1992. Manzhouli’s trade has shifted from waste steel, chemical fertilizers, fruit, vegetables and garments to timber, petroleum and technology. The growing industries in the city are repackaging, warehousing, goods consolidation, and distribution. The port is also home to over 200 import and export companies. Read the rest of this entry »

Notice on Overseas VAT Refunds Released for Tianjin

TIANJIN, Apr. 19 – China has issued a circular concerning export value-added tax refunds for vessels transferred overseas under finance leases in Tianjin, effective April 1 and for a pilot run period of one year.

Circular Caishui [2010] No. 24, jointly released on March 30 by the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration of Taxation and the General Administration of Customs, dictates that finance lease enterprises whose business ownerships have been transferred to overseas enterprises can enjoy export tax rebates for one year in Tianjin. Read the rest of this entry »

Import-Export, Foreign Trade No Longer Allowed in China’s Bonded Zones

Apr. 2 – The General Administration of Customs, aiming to develop entrepôt trade within bonded logistics zones and ports, has recently modified two measures regulating the administration of these bonded areas in China to disallow import-export and foreign trade.

Bonded logistics zones and bonded ports in China were key locations for international trading before China opened up the door to trading with the creation of the foreign-invested commercial enterprise vehicle in 2004. As importing and exporting has moved away from the strict purview of the bonded zone, the Chinese government has moved to have these zones concentrate on their strongest areas. Read the rest of this entry »

Terminal 2 Opens at Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport

By Joe Drury

Mar. 19 – Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport opened the doors of a new terminal on March 16, two months before 70 million mostly Chinese visitors will begin flocking to the city for the 2010 Expo.

The five-year US$2.2 billion Hongqiao Airport Expansion Project created a new 3,300 meter-long runway along with the terminal and will boost Hongqiao’s annual handling capacity by an estimated 40 million passengers and one million tons of cargo by 2015. Read the rest of this entry »

China Briefing Partners with China Daily and IBISWorld to Provide China Industry Reports

Mar. 2 – China Briefing has partnered with China Daily and the market research firms All China Marketing Research and IBISWorld to provide a series of industry reports covering a number of sectors

Written by dedicated researchers from China Daily and ACMR-IBISWorld, these reports are listed on the Asia Briefing Bookstore and include the following titles:

China Daily
AutoChina
China Banking
China Energy Read the rest of this entry »

Paying Tax by Installment in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, Feb. 24 – As the region slowly recovers from the effects of the financial crisis, some business may still be struggling to manage their cash flow.

Hong Kong’s Inland Revenue Department allows payment of taxes by installment for taxpayers having financial difficulties. Taxpayers will need to submit an installment application to the agency and if approved a surcharge not exceeding 5 percent of the outstanding amount will be imposed. Read the rest of this entry »

China’s High-Speed Rail Reaches 3,000 Km

Feb. 18 – China’s operational high-speed railways have exceeded 3,300 kilometers, the Ministry of Railways said on its website Thursday.

China finished two high-speed railways in 2009, one running between Wuhan-Guangzhou and the other between Zhengzhou-Xi’an. Both lines have an operating speed of 350 kph. China also has high-speed railways linking Beijing with Tianjin, Shijiazhuang with Taiyuan, Qingdao with Jinan, and Hefei with Wuhan and Nanjing. Read the rest of this entry »

Hong Kong Express Rail Link with Mainland Approved

Photo: Hong Kong dear Edward/Flickr Jan. 18 – Hong Kong authorities approved a US$8.6 billion express rail link connecting the territory with Guangzhou and Shenzhen over the weekend sparking protests.

The controversial project was approved by a 31-21 vote dominated by pro-establishment lawmakers. Protesters surrounded the Hong Kong legislature on Saturday claiming the project only benefited a privileged few, failed to seriously consider cheaper alternatives moreover leading to the destruction of homes in the New Territories. Read the rest of this entry »

FedEx Launches First Direct Boeing Cargo Service from Shanghai to United States

SHANGHAI, Jan. 15 – Shipping giant FedEx will launch its first Boeing 777 cargo service from Shanghai to its hub in Memphis, Tennessee.

The new service will give clients in Shanghai, Suzhou and Kunshan a two-hour improvement in cut-off times easing international shipping reports The Associated Press. Read the rest of this entry »

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