Beijing City Releases New Real Estate Policies

BEIJING, Feb. 25 – New real estate policies released yesterday attempts to rein in ballooning housing prices and property speculation in China’s capital city.

The Implementing Opinions for Promoting the Steady and Healthy Development of the Real Estate Market in Beijing (Implementing Opinions), asserts adherence to a 40 percent initial housing loan payment for second properties and single land leases of commercial housing should not exceed 20 hectares. Read the rest of this entry »



Hunchun: China’s Gateway to Eastern Russia and North Korea

Feb. 9 – As investment costs begin to increase in China, the need for new markets have also risen leading to interesting cities to develop as strategic  trading hubs. One such example is the Chinese city of Hunchun lying in Eastern Jilin Province, a few miles from the Russian and North Korean border.

The Hunchun investment guide is now available as a free PDF download for China Briefing subscribers. It contains overviews of the city from Liang Li of Peking University, Si Zhang of Cornell University, and Zhao Deyu of Boston University. It contains demographical details of trade, commerce, salaries and related data on cross-border trade between Hunchun, North Korea and Russia and was produced by the Greater Tumen Initiative. Read the rest of this entry »



UNDP Survey on China, Regional Trade Barriers

Feb. 9 – The United Nations Development Program’s Greater Tumen Initiative has requested the kind assistance of China Briefing readers in participating in a regional survey on trade barriers.

The survey covering China, Russia, Mongolia, North Korea and South Korea is needed for government analysis and discussion later in the year. Participation will it possible for readers to make their voices heard at a governmental level with the countries concerned. Read the rest of this entry »



Beijing Municipality Encourages FDI in Private Equity Fund Companies

BEIJING, Feb. 2 – Local authorities have released a circular encouraging foreign investors to establish wholly foreign-owned private equity (PE) management companies or joint-venture private equity management companies with local companies in its Zhongguancun Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone.

The circular called “Tentative Measures for Establishing Foreign-Invested Private Equity Investment Fund Management Enterprises” clarifies the scope of foreign-invested PE management companies, “being commissioned to accept other PE investment funds and undertaking non-securities PE management and consulting,” and not engaged in other business activities. Read the rest of this entry »



China to Raise Minimum Wage Levels

Photo: Jurvetson/FlickrBEIJING, Jan. 29 – Local governments will raise minimum wage levels as soon as next month from 10 to 12 percent given the recovering economy and rising inflation.

Beginning next month, Jiangsu Province will increase minimum wage levels  from RMB850 to RMB960, the same level Shanghai and Hangzhou. Beijing will soon follow suit with a 10 percent increase in minimum wages to RMB880 per month by April 1 reports The Global Times. Read the rest of this entry »



New China Briefing Books Out Now

Jan. 22 – China Briefing just released two new titles on doing business in the country; expanding the Asia Briefing roster of invaluable resources for both the new and experienced foreign investor.

Human Resources in China

Due to the rapidly changing nature of the labor market and the laws that govern it in China, it can be very difficult for foreign investors and managers to understand how to manage human resources on the mainland. Produced in association with the human resource professionals at Direct HR, a specialist China recruitment firm, this technical guide is designed to cover the most important issues related to managing a Chinese workforce and details HR issues that both local managers in China and investors looking to establishing an office on the mainland should be aware about.

For more information on our guide to Human Resources in China, including a list of the topics covered, click here. Read the rest of this entry »



Beijing’s Social Security Online System Available in February

BEIJING, Jan. 22 – The Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau announced that its social security online system for declaration and inquiry will be up beginning February.

This will allow insured units and individuals to log online for social security transactions and other individual information inquiries. These transactions can include adjustments in staff and payment base collections using the Beijing Social Security System Enterprise Management Subsystem. Read the rest of this entry »



IBM Expands into Accounts Receivable Lending in China

Jan. 11 – International Business Machines (IBM) has launched a financing business in China indicating how the company is diversifying into service, consulting and financing businesses.

The company’s  first accounts-receivable lending license in the country will apply to the Tianjin Binhai New Area, a special economic zone located in the northeast city of Tianjin. Chip maker and IBM supplier Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) will be the company’s first client providing accounts-receivable lending or factoring that will give AMD upfront cash payment for sold goods. Read the rest of this entry »



China May Expand Pilot Property Tax Program Nationwide

Jan. 6 – China may implement a pilot property tax program nationwide reports Shanghai Securities News.

Morgan Stanley said that China may levy a tax on commercial real estate in “selective regions” before applying a levy on residences in an effort to temper the heated property market. It will take some time before the pilot program is officially made into law and by then it would be the first time a nationwide tax will be levied on the value of property in China. Read the rest of this entry »



Microsoft Ordered to Stop Sale of Programs Guilty of IPR Violation

BEIJING, Nov. 18 – U.S. software company Microsoft has been ordered by a Beijing court to stop the sale of all Windows programs found in violation of a Chinese company’s intellectual property rights.

The Beijing Number One Intermediate People’s Court ruled in favor of
Beijing-based software company, Zhongyi Electronic, saying that Microsoft’s use of its two Chinese fonts were not included in a license agreement. Microsoft said it believed its license agreements with the plaintiff covered its use of the fonts and would appeal against the decision, reports The Financial Times. Read the rest of this entry »