Thursday, 30 June 2011

Ex-Taiwan President Lee indicted on graft charge


Former President Lee Teng-hui, one of the pivotal figures in Taiwan’s modern history, was indicted on graft charges Thursday, becoming the second recent leader to face such charges and prompting opposition accusations that the government was subverting the island’s still-evolving democracy.

Auditor Warning Worsens Local Government Debt Drop: China Credit

Bonds from local government-owned investment companies in China fell this month, paring returns for 2011, after a state audit warned about repayment risks.

Mining Boom Makes Truck Tires Pricier Than Porsches, Condominiums in Miami

China’s insatiable demand for commodities has prompted a tripling in the price of mining truck tires, making them more expensive than a Porsche 911 Carrera S type or a condominium in Miami.

Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Youthful ideals abandoned in the pursuit of power

The Communist Party’s promise to embrace democracy won it many supporters in its early days

China migrant unrest exposes generation faultline

In a backstreet pool hall in southern China’s factory belt, young migrant workers gather around the tables, their eyes flitting between the worn green baize and the anti-riot police patrolling the grimy alleys.

As China Communist Party turns 90, a debate erupts

China is marking the 90th birthday of the Communist Party with its typically over-the-top celebrations and an unusually rancorous debate about whether the government needs a major change in direction to sustain the country’s resurgence.

Monday, 27 June 2011

Mirror effect

The West’s fears about a ‘rising’ China mostly reflect anxieties about itself rather than policy shifts in Beijing

Guangdong rule urges residents to flush out foreigners who overstay

Guangdong’s new regulation to tighten up rules on foreigners living and working there as it tries to crack down on illegal immigration could mean more harassment of foreigners and restrictions on their freedoms.

Unhappy rural migrants threaten China stability - state think tank

China’s millions of rural workers will become a serious threat to stability unless they are better treated in their new urban homes, a top state think-tank warned in a report published in the wake of fresh rioting in one factory city in the south.

‘Ultimate’ city for investors

Los Angeles is attracting bargain-hunting Hong Kong and mainland buyers who are capitalising on low prices.

How Alibaba’s mistake damaged China’s market

Alipay transfer violated rights China should support

Malaysia to implement minimum wage policy soon

Malaysia will hopefully implement minimum wage policy by the end of this year.

Quiet China giant embodies technology aspirations

China’s quietest multibillion-dollar Chinese success story began when a former soldier founded a company in the 1980s to sell imported phone switches.

Singapore girls are materialistic: SMU study

A new research has shown that Singaporean women are “significantly” more materialistic than their American peers. Published earlier this year, the study by Singapore Management University (SMU) psychology professor Norman Li surveyed about 400 psychology students aged between 19 and 21.

China audits local government finances

China released a comprehensive assessment of the debts of its local governments on Monday and barred those entities from borrowing any further, taking its first major step to reduce the risk of default and instability in the world’s second-largest economy.

Kung fu panda too American for some

Beijing artist buys newspaper ads urging film-goers to steer clear of animation blockbuster, saying it twists Chinese culture and brainwashes its youth

Phone scam bust is fruit of crime pact

A two-year-old cross-strait agreement allowed police from Taipei and Beijing to work together to break up ring defrauding mainlanders out of millions of yuan

Art auctions ‘marred by fakes, cheats’

As prices soar for Chinese artworks, the auction system is linked to fake certificates, artificial prices and a myriad of other irregularities

China shops for oil, food, minerals in Latin America

Beijing lends and invests tens of billions of dollars in countries in return for a flow of commodities

Chinese buyers shopping for prime NY sites

Falling commercial property prices bring out mainland investors hoping for eventual rebound

Hong Kong takes to the bottle

Tax abolition created 850 firms and 5,000 jobs in 2 years, and wine business is now worth HK$5.5b

Still no sign of a consumer boom

As the world looks to Chinese shoppers to help boost the global economy, consumer spending as a proportion of GDP continues to decline

Zengcheng offers cash, residency to informers

Guangdong City wants local migrant workers to provide information on those who took part in riots, but observers say the tactic won’t work

Executives lose millions buying fake degrees

One alerted police after her PhD certificate failed authenticity test, despite 50,000 yuan verification fee

Efforts to quell China unrest a vicious circle

Many have a stake in ensuring social stability, and seek to protect and expand their share

By the book

A clarification from Beijing about its claim in the South China Sea could help resolve the disputes with the Philippines and Vietnam, without compromising its sovereignty

Jakarta to stop sending maids to Saudi Arabia after beheading

Indonesia will stop sending maids to Saudi Arabia from Aug 1, and a joint taskforce will be set up by Jakarta to discuss how best to protect these workers, a top official of the Transmigration Ministry said yesterday.

Over 4,000 workers on strike in South China

Thousands of workers at a South Korean-owned factory in China’s industrial heartland have gone on strike to demand better pay and working conditions, a report said Thursday.

Police clear the air on handling WW2 relics

They will help even if items are found on private property, says director of ops

Reforms can’t wait as an inevitable slowdown of the Chinese economy looms

The prospect of leaner times means the government must act now to ease social pressures and protect people’s access to education, jobs and opportunities

All should be willing to accept UN’s say on Spratly

Tensions over the South China Sea territorial disputes continue to escalate with the holding of military exercises by virtually all parties concerned.

Sunday, 26 June 2011

Why dodgy firms go West

Hong Kong isn’t immune to company fraud, but proximity, a shared language and closer vetting means the market is more likely to smell a rat