Other Briefings
Beijing airport to open third runway in October
Beijing Capital International Airport is set to expand its take-off and landing capacity by 50 percent in October when it begins trial operations of its third runway. The RMB200 million runway will raise capacity at the airport from 30 to 90 flights per day according to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC). The […]
AirAsia launches cheap flights to Shenzhen
AirAsia launched its Shenzhen service today with nonstop flights from Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, the first routes into mainland China for the Malaysia-based budget airline founded in 1993. Group Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Tony Fernandes Berhad of AirAsia said, “We have continued to create history by introducing flights to untapped markets as we have always […]
Doors close on Starbucks’ controversial Forbidden City outlet
There will be no more Frappaccinos or lattés in the Forbidden City as Starbucks closed down its controversial outlet situated inside the former imperial palace on Friday. The closure brought an end to a seven-year presence that sparked controversy and protests that the image and cultural heritage of the historical site was being trampled on by the […]
2.6 million join China’s Communist Party
Workers of the world China unite! Xinhua reported that approximately 2.64 million people joined the Communist Party last year. That is 160,000 more people than the previous year, according to the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee. To put that into perspective, that figure represents the entire population of the state of Utah in the […]
Shanghai to open three new metro lines by end of year
Shanghai will open three new metro lines by the end of the year, extending the total distance of the network to 230 kilometers authorities at the city subway’s construction headquarters announced. Metro Line 6 will run south to north in Pudong, Metro Line 8 links Yangpu District with many downtown stops, and Metro Line 9 links Xuhui […]
Are blogs destroying serious reading?
In an op/ed in today’s Shanghai Daily, Wan Lixin laments that serious reading has gone the way of the dodo. He writes that, according to a recent survey by the Chinese Institute of Publishing Science, the number of Chinese reading books has decreased sharply since 1999. Wan says that it is not only China that has […]
China taxes oil exports by foreign firms
China will impose a tax on crude oil exports by foreign partners in offshore joint ventures the Ministry of Finance announced yesterday. As reported in China Daily, the tax – a 5 percent tariff on oil exports – will take effect August 1, but existing contracts will be granted a five-year holiday. “The move is aimed at […]
Vietnam passes China to become most attractive destination for FDI
Vietnam has exceeded China to become the most attractive destination for investment in production while the United Arab Emirates surpasses India to become an ideal place for investment in services, according new survey of emerging markets by Price Waterhouse Coopers. According to The Sunday Times, the index assesses 20 prominent emerging-market locations on the basis […]
