Friday 29 July 2011

Contract makers review business model

Contract manufacturers rolling out an array of gadgets such as Apple’s iPad, Dell’s PCs and other devices in China are re-examining their business models as they grapple with surging costs and shrinking margins.

Thursday 28 July 2011

China defends carrier plans, neighbours fret over

China’s neighbours are worried its aircraft carrier program may in time intimidate regional rivals but its military on Thursday defended the plan as vital for maritime security.

U.S. says cooperating with China to repatriate graft fugitives

The United States is cooperating with China to repatriate Chinese fugitives facing corruption charges, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday, a move that could pave the way for the return of hundreds of government officials wanted for graft.

Panasonic to Sell Sanyo White Goods Units to Haier

Panasonic will sell its Sanyo Electric unit's washing machine and refrigerator operations in Japan and Southeast Asia to China's Haier Group for about 10 billion yen ($130 million), three sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

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China says equipment flaws caused train crash

Design flaws in signal equipment and human error caused last weekend's high-speed train crash in China that killed at least 39 people, a railway official said Thursday.

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Shanghai tightens property market rules

Shanghai authorities will inspect home sale plans from real estate developers and may reject applications if they find prices to be “unreasonably” high, in its latest effort to fight rising house prices.

China’s investments are not as wasteful as the bears believe

Stories of wasteful infrastructure projects abound across the mainland, but the anecdotes don’t prove that Beijing’s investment binge is money down the drain

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Whither this speed?

When a high-speed train was stalled, allegedly by a bolt of lightning, common sense dictated that later trains waited. Tragedy struck when a second train rear-ended into the stalled one, derailing several carriages and killing at least 39 passengers. It could be the result of a technical glitch or human error, or a combination of both. But before the investigation report comes out, a lot of people are asking: “Why so fast?”

China state paper accuses authorities of ‘arrogance’

One of China’s official newspapers on Wednesday accused the authorities of “arrogance” in their handling of a deadly high-speed train crash, joining a rising chorus of public fury.

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Chinese officials close 2 of 5 fake Apple stores

Chinese Officials looking into the illegal sale of Apple gadgets say they are waiting for the electronics company to respond before they decide whether to close three more possibly unlicensed stores.

Warnings about lightning ignored

Transport experts alerted rail authorities to the risks, but preventive measures were considered too costly

Furious relatives demand answers

Grief gave way to anger in Wenzhou yesterday as relatives of the victims of Saturday’s high-speed train crash protested outside the municipal government offices, demanding railway officials meet them face to face.

Yes, there’s a property bubble in China

Its bursting can harm the real economy and can cause negative spillovers to other nations

China’s effort to muzzle news of train crash sparks outcry

Government directives demanding journalists not question official accounts of a deadly high-speed train crash in eastern China are fuelling public anger and suspicion about conflicting details of the accident, such as the death toll.

Monday 25 July 2011

Kunming discovers two more fake Apple stores

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China outraged by rail crash


Chinese media and public reacted with anger on Monday to a fatal high-speed train crash, with even official newspapers saying safety controls on the rapidly-expanding network may have been too lax.

Local government debt poses risk to growth, says PBOC advisor

China has at least two years to sort out its mountain of local government debt, which poses a ‘very serious’ risk for the fastest-growing economy over the longer term, People’s Bank of China adviser Zhou Qiren said.

Train crash could curb China rail equipment exports

A deadly train crash in China over the weekend has raised concerns about the safety of the country’s fast-growing rail network and threatens to undermine its plans to export high-speed train technology.

China sacks 3 railway officials after train crash

China sacked three senior railway officials yesterday after a collision between two high-speed trains killed at least 43 people and raised new questions about the safety of the fast-growing rail network.

Sunday 24 July 2011

China Train Wreck Raises Questions

“China, please stop your flying pace, wait for your people, wait for your soul, wait for your morality, wait for your conscience! Don’t let the train run out off track, don’t let the bridges collapse, don’t let the roads become traps, don’t let houses become ruins. Walk slowly, allowing every life to have freedom and dignity. No one should be left behind by our era.”

2 arrogant Chinese pick on 'wrong' guy in Philippines

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Customs looks at car pricing tactics

The Government may be clamping down on pricing tactics that have made some cars cheaper but the taxman poorer.

Taxpayers finally get to See where the money goes

The 100 million yuan spent on banquets at the Academy of Sciences may prove hard to swallow as government departments finally divulge their expenditure

Lai’s return expected to worry corrupt officials

Before being deported from Canada, the fugitive, who fled with a fortune, vowed to take many other officials to prison with him if he was convicted

上海灘 - 葉麗儀

Mainland home prices heading for a fall

Despite enticing smiles from attractive sales agents beckoning visitors to an exhibition for a new property launch, the cavernous hall in suburban Beijing remained virtually empty for hours at a stretch.