Other Briefings
China, HK Agree to Currency-Swap Deal
Jan. 21 – Hong Kong and Mainland China has agreed to currency-swap deal as part of the central government’s efforts to help the economic development of the territory. The deal is expected to strengthen Hong Kong’s role as an international finance center and will provide liquidity support worth HKD227 billion or about US$29.3 billion. The […]
Hong Kong Ranked World’s Freest Economy for 15th Time
Jan. 16 – The U.S. Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal has ranked Hong Kong at the top spot of its 2009 Index of Economic Freedom for the 15th consecutive year, besting 183 countries based on 10 specific economic freedoms. Hong Kong scored 90, 0.3 point higher than last year and above the world average […]
Construction Begins on Guangzhou-Nanning High Speed Rail Link
Nov. 11 – Work began on Sunday on a high-speed rail link between Nanning and Guangzhou that will cut travel time between the two south China cities from almost 13 hours to three. The 577.1 kilometer-long route, 61 percent of which will run through Guangxi, will allow trains to run at up to 200 kilometers […]
Guangdong and Shanghai Exports Plummet
Nov. 10 – The governor of Guangdong province, Huang Huahua, has stated that the value of exports leaving for overseas markets has dropped by 10.9 percent this year, with GDP slowing from 14.5 percent in 2007 to 10.2 percent for 2008. The figures are important as Guangdong is both China’s wealthiest province, with two of […]
Hong Kong Issuance of China Visas Easing
HONG KONG, Nov. 7 – The issuance of tourist (but not business) visas to mainland China is slowly relaxing following the clampdown imposed just before the Olympics. Currently CITS will issue a maximum of a double-entry visa, priced at just over US$300, valid for six months. The procedure takes a minimum of 48 hours. It […]
China Pays for Factory’s Back Wages
Oct. 28 – According to a local government official in Guangdong province the government has used more than RMB24 million (US$3.5 million) of public funds to compensate 7,000 former employees of the toy maker Smart Union Group, reports Xinhua. Xu Hongfei, deputy head of Zhangmutou, said the town government has agreed to shoulder all the […]
Kunming and Nanning Evolving as Major Trade Links with Vietnam
Oct. 15 – With much commentary these days on the “ripple effect” of China’s fast growing economy affecting other regional countries, one area in particular has been undergoing a massive, yet almost quiet revolution: Southwest China. With yesterday’s news on Vietnam Briefing that Vietnam’s exports for 2008 are set to reach US$63 billion, the country […]
Liuzhou Developing into Typical 2TC Investment Destination
Oct. 1 – Liuzhou, the second largest city in Guangxi and the region’s industrial center, is poised to become a major recipient of relocating domestic manufacturers and an investment hub for access to trade with South-East Asia. It is, in many ways, an archtypal second tier city. The city, which is bisected by the […]
