Dec. 23 - Here is how China has been reported across the region over the past week.

Asia’s Paradox of Thrift
Asian governments have used every trick in the book to push consumers to buy more goods, to keep the economy healthy and kicking. With the industry faltering and exports slowing to seven year lows, all Asian governments have taken some precautionary measures - reduced interest rates and pumped money into the economy. Nonetheless, many have gone a step further in promoting consumer spending. (2point6billion.com)

China to the Rescue? Not!
Thomas Friedman, the author of the world is flat, writes in his nytimes column: Dafen is just one of a million Chinese and American enterprises that constitute the most important economic engine in the world today — what historian Niall Ferguson calls “Chimerica,” the de facto partnership between Chinese savers and producers and U.S. spenders and borrowers. That 30-year-old partnership is about to undergo a radical restructuring as a result of the current economic crisis, and the global economy will be highly impacted by the outcome.(Communist Tax Lawyer)

New Vietnam Container Route to China Launched
The new international shipping container route starting from Cai Lan port in Quang Ninh province to China and Hong Kong has been officially launched. The port is the first deep-water port located in northern Vietnam with a capacity of accommodating freighters weighing up to 50,000 DWT. (Vietnam Briefing) Read the rest of this entry »

Dec. 16 - Here is how China has been reported across the region over the past week.

Asia Remains Top Global Outsourcing Destination
As companies begin to downsize and trim the fat globally, they are looking at outsourcing many operations to lower cost destinations. India and China continue to remain top destinations for companies looking at cutting costs while Vietnam and Thailand have also aggressively captured a larger share of the world outsourcing pie.(2point6billion.com)

ASEAN Launches New Charter Bloc
Southeast Asian foreign ministers met Monday to implement a charter setting up a bloc of half a billion people, in hopes of developing a European Union-style community that may be hampered by the global economic crisis.(Communist Tax Lawyer)

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Dec. 10 - Here is how China has been reported across the region over the past week.

Asian Exports Fall to Seven Year Low – And What This Means for Western Economies
Shrinking western demand, rising inflation and a scarcity of trade finance have resulted in a significant slump in Asian exports, putting a dampener on the festive season. While governments have tried various measures to stimulate their economies including generous stimulus packages, reducing interest rates by up to 1 percent and increasing inter-regional trade, exports have continued to decline. (2point6billion.com)

China and Russia Sign Border Deal
China and Russia have signed a treaty resolving a 40 year territorial dispute along their border. The border between the two is 4,300 km long, and the latest treaty resolves a dispute over the eastern part of the border. (Communist Tax Lawyer)

Asia’s Agenda for a Greener Planet
Backed by funding from more developed industrialized nations, Asian nations have vowed to reduce greenhouse gasses during the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held during the first two weeks in December and attended by 10,000 delegates from 192 countries in Poznan, western Poland. (2point6billion.com)

Vietnam Forecasts US$8billion from Overseas Remittances
The State Bank of Vietnam estimates overseas remittances to the country may amount to US$8 billion by the end of the year, a 45.5 percent increase from last year’s figures. One of Western Union’s five agents,Vietnam Bank for Private Enterprises told Thanh Nien News, that revenues from money transfer service have increased by 70 percent this year. (Vietnam Briefing)

Indian Government Announces US$4.1 billion Stimulus Package
The government of India on Sunday announced a fiscal stimulus package that was even better than expected. The stimulus package increased planned expenditure by Rs 20,000 crore (US$4.1billion), a cut of 4 percent in excise duties across the board and interest rate cuts on loans for infrastructure and exports. (India Briefing)

In China, Empty Offices Fill the Sky
A global credit meltdown and a slowing domestic economy conspired to ruin the coming-out party for this and other newly built skyscrapers, part of a Chinese real-estate boom that has lost its allure
(Communist Tax Lawyer)

China in Asia Archives

Dec. 3 - Here is how China has been reported across the region over the past week.

Oil and Gas Companies Go Shopping

The value of global oil and gas companies has decreased in the last year due to the ongoing economic downturn making it an opportune time for Indian companies to buy global assets as well as global wealth funds particularly from China, the Middle East and Singapore to buy oil and gas assets in India. (India Briefing)

Vietnamese FDI reaches US$60 billion for 2008

Vietnam’s foreign direct investment (FDI) projects for the year has amounted to more than US$60 billion. In November alone, close to US$1 billion worth of investments were streamed through FDI projects. (Vietnam Briefing)

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Nov. 24 - Here is how China has been reported across the region over the past week.

Shanghai to Invest in Punjab Free Trade Zone?
In government and B2B meetings held in Shanghai this past week between Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populated province, efforts were made for a Pakistan-China free trade and development zone. Punjab would provide the land for free, while the Shanghai government would be invited to participate in management in addition to encouraging local businesses to invest. (2point6billion)

Vietnam Opens Floating Port to Facilitate Oil Exports to China
Vietnam has opened a floating port on its continental shelf, off the central province of Binh Thuan, to export crude oil from Lot 15-1 of the Su Tu Vang oilfield. (Vietnam Briefing)

India ‘Will Not Fall Into Recession’
Will India follow the United States, Japan and 15-nation Eurozone into a Recession? Government officials, economic and industry captains doubt it. (India Briefing)

Chinese Navy Visits Vietnam for the First Time
For the first time in their at-times turbulent history, a ship from the Chinese Navy visited Vietnam. The Chinese naval training ship Zheng He arrived at the Vietnamese central Tien Sa port in Danang. (Communist Tax Lawyer)

Can China Steal India’s Domestic Steel Market Share?
If China lifts the proposed steel export tax of 5 percent from December 1, the move could severely affect the steel industry in emerging Asia, especially India, warn industry insiders. (2point6billion)

China in Asia Archives

Nov. 17 - Here is how China has been reported across the region over the past week.

India-China Relationship “Very Important to U.S.” - Obama speaks with Singh
A week after U.S. President-elect Barack Obama won the election, he made his first official phone call to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, firmly brushing aside speculation that India had been snubbed by America. (India Briefing)

Asia Surpasses U.S. as Most Attractive FDI Destination
Top executives of the world’s largest private equity firms met in Hong Kong last week and agreed that Asia has surpassed the United States to become the world’s most attractive place for investment. (2point6billion.com)

China’s Stimulus Package May Boost California and Japan
China’s stimulus package may help support sales of Japanese farm equipment, Brazilian iron ore and California machine tools, taking some of the edge off what might be the worst global recession in three decades. (Communist Tax Lawyer)

Luxury Brands Upbeat on Asia
Luxury Italian brand Versace expects Asia to overtake their U.S. market, reigning second place in terms of revenue and investment, after Europe. (2point6billion.com)

Vietnam’s Fast Food Industry Attracts Increasing Foreign Investment
Despite the global crisis, Vietnam remains a profitable investment for Western fast-food chains. Many Vietnamese are still willing to spend more on fast food restaurants even if it is around two to four times more expensive than the regular rice or noodle shop. (Vietnam Briefing)

India’s Economy To Remain Stable at 7% Growth
It might be that the international financial crisis has dented growth of the Indian economy, however the slump will be short lived. A Confederation of India Industry and PWC report as well as Standard & Poor’s long term ratings both point to stability and continued growth over the next few years. (India Briefing)

Nov. 10 - This new weekly series looks at China and how it has been reported across the region over the past week.

India Fears Chinese Goods Invasion
With bilateral trade between India and China escalating beyond the 2010 target of US$40 billion this year, amidst the global crisis, senior officials in the Indian commerce department are worried that excess stocks of mass produced Chinese goods, might wash up on Indian shores. (2point6billion.com)

China’s FAW Interested In Manufacturing Cars in India
Even as the dust settles on what would have been the Tata Nano plant in Singur, the West Bengal government reportedly offered the land to First Automobile Works Limited (FAW), a Chinese automobile manufacturer. (India Briefing)

China and India Agree to Work Together Over Global Financial Crisis
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said during an interview that India and China have agreed to work together to deal with the financial crisis, reports the Indian Express. Mr. Singh was recently in Beijing to attend the Asia-Europe (ASEM) Summit. (India Briefing)

Cambodia and Vietnam Sign Agreement for Chinese-Funded Mekong Rail Network
Cambodia and Vietnam have agreed to a deal that would connect the railways from Phnom Penh to Vietnam at a cost of more than US$500 million. “China has promised to build the railroad from Phnom Penh to Vietnam as part of the project to create a link from Singapore to Kunming in China” (Vietnam Briefing)

China and Russia in Talks Over 20 year, US$30 Billion Oil Supply Deal
China plans to grant an immediate loan to Russian oil companies in return for guaranteed exports to the country for the next twenty years. The amounts are expected to be in the region of an immediate US$20-30 billion loan, with supplies worth two billion barrels a year going to China for the next two decades. (2point6billion.com)