China Briefing News » West China

The Man from Ashgabat – Xinjiang’s Key to Central Asia

China Briefing — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:30:13 +0000

The Chinese have done a lot in upgrading the infrastructure in Xinjiang, and are helping with developments across Central Asia too. Road, rail, and air links have all been significantly improved. But they can only do so much, and key to this are the Uyghurs.

Photo: Kaisern Chen

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Shihezi – China’s Cotton and Textiles Hub

China Briefing — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:28:55 +0000

Op-Ed Commentary: Chris Devonshire-Ellis Oct. 12 – One of the hidden treasures of Xinjiang is Shihezi. Actually the region’s second largest city after Urumqi, this has long been a farming community and is often regarded with typical Chinese aplomb as “A Shining Pearl in the Gobi Desert.” But while much of Xinjiang’s trade revolves around crops such as tomatoes, melons, fruits and nuts, Shihezi is different. For Shihezi is one of the primary producing areas of Chinese cotton. Here, it’s the textile industry that dominates in a crop that is also agricultural. Foreign investors are wising up too, and the … Continue reading →

China’s Pan Asia Gold Exchange: A New Playing Field for Speculators?

China Briefing — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:43:03 +0000

In an age when the assets of insolvent Western economies are becoming less reliable and international investors appreciate gold as a safe haven, the Chinese know it is time for them to play a larger role in the global gold market. The Pan Asia Gold Exchange - opened earlier this year allowing gold trade in China’s own local currency RMB - may make China the new epicenter of the global gold market and even trigger a bigger wave of speculative gold buying and selling. Continue reading →

Free China Expat Culture Book Download

China Briefing — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:56:09 +0000

Sept. 30 – China Expat, China Briefing’s sister site covering all things concerning the interaction between overseas expatriates and Chinese culture, celebrates 10 years of existence this year and has released a complimentary book – “China Expat – A Decade of Writing: 2001-2011” – with a selection of articles contributed to the title over the past decade. The book is launched today both as a anniversary gift to China expats home and abroad, and also to celebrate China’s National Day, which falls on October 1. “China Expat – A Decade of Writing: 2001-2011” brings together a collection of the published … Continue reading →

A Business Guide to Western China – Local Markets and Exotic Exports

China Briefing — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 02:49:00 +0000

A complete overview of the trade dynamics and foreign investment opportunities from Xi’an to Xinjiang, and from Mongolia to Tibet. Op-ed Commentary: Chris Devonshire-Ellis Aug. 26 – China’s western regions have long held a fascination for many. The route of the ancient Silk Road, the mysteries of the orient, huge deserts, enormous mountains, a collision of religious, language and numerous tribal cultures, creating an enigmatic region not short of romance, mystery and intrigue. Investing in China’s Western regions has long been a feature of China Briefing and our firm, Dezan Shira & Associates. We have run several editions of China … Continue reading →

Tax Policy Clarification Released for China’s Western Region

China Briefing — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:01:30 +0000

On July 27, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of Finance, and the General Administration of Customs jointly published the “Circular on Issues Concerning Tax Policies for In-depth Implementation of Western Development Strategy (Caishui [2011] No.58, “Circular”),” effective from January 1, 2011. Continue reading →

China’s Second Tier Cities – the New Kids on the Block

China Briefing — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:10:59 +0000

By Nicholas Hughes Jul. 6 – The HSBC Trade Exchange took place at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Shanghai’s World Financial Center last week from June 27 to June 30. It saw the gathering of business leaders from firms across Europe to understand more about the vast opportunities that are presented by the Chinese market. Businesses represented at the event were either already doing business in China and were not sure how to capitalize on the new opportunities, or were seriously considering the opportunity of entering China. The guidance, advice, and exchanging of information took place in the form of … Continue reading →

St. Regis Opens Luxury Hotel in Lhasa

China Briefing — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 03:28:17 +0000

Jun. 2 – The St. Regis chain of luxury hotels, part of the Starwood Group, has just opened a five-star resort property in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. The design of the St. Regis Lhasa is inspired by a nearby and still active monastery and is the highest altitude hotel in the world at 12,000 feet (3,360 meters) above sea level. In common with many hotels in the city, each room is fitted with a tank of oxygen just in case guests feel symptoms of altitude mountain sickness as they get used to the rarified air. The oxygen content of … Continue reading →

Xinjiang to Become More Accessible for Foreign Investors

China Briefing — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:13:05 +0000

Xinjiang, the massive autonomous region in northwestern China offering many lucrative investment opportunities, is relaxing the approval procedures for foreign investors. Under the new policy, local authorities will gain more decision power and investors will find it easier to start up projects in the region. Continue reading →

Complimentary Reports Available from China Briefing

China Briefing — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 03:34:17 +0000

Dec. 24 – Over the past year we’ve released a number of complimentary reports. As its the festive season and we know our readers have been very good this year, we provide a one stop shop to each of them, complete with complimentary downloads just in case you missed them the first time around. They include reports on business in China, India, Vietnam, Russia and Emerging Asia, as well as industry guides, city guides, in-depth regional overviews in addition to tourism related material. We hope you enjoy them. Happy New Year! China-India 2011 Development Report A series of essays and … Continue reading →