Sunday, 18 October 2009

Chinese in Algeria find shoe on the other foot

On the evening of August 3, a shop owner in Algiers objected to a Chinese trader parking outside his shop. After the two traded blows, the Chinese man fetched 50 of his compatriots, leading to a brawl in which five Chinese shops were looted, sacks of rice were emptied on to the street and dozens of people were injured.

Hedge fund industry faces big shake-out

With values running 25% below peak, they can’t charge full fees

‘Shoebox’ units may wilt under URA’s gaze

The new breed of ‘shoebox’ private apartments may have caught the imagination, but don’t expect them to invade the housing landscape. Some may not even get the planning authority’s approval, going forward, if recent decisions are any guide.

China's top universities and their strengths

China’s ‘Ivy League’

Nine of China’s top universities have banded together to form the country’s version of the American Ivy League.

Mainland Developers Get Cold Shoulder at Hong Kong IPO Roadshows

Chinese property firms are lowering their expectations about the amount of the money to be raised in the Hong Kong stock market.

Investors picky after new offerings sag

Investors have become increasingly selective about new share sales in Hong Kong after some weak trading debuts by large initial public offerings, analysts say.

What weasel words of investment truly mean


The investment world is full of weasel words designed to mislead investors, or maybe just accentuate the positive. This produces confusion, which hopefully will be diluted by this guide to some of the most common misnomers employed out there.

Democracy activist jailed 10 years for ‘subverting state’

The founder of a group that challenged Communist Party rule with a call for multiparty democracy has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, a human rights group said yesterday.

Former university professor and judge Guo Quan was jailed for “subversion of state power” by a court in Jiangsu province on Friday, the New York-based group Human Rights in China said.

Chongqing party boss defends his crackdown


Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai said the government was forced to stage a massive crackdown on gangsters as a response to public pressure.

RMB 4 Trillion Stimulus vs RMB 5 Trillion Debts: Looming Local Government Credit Risk Explosion

For the implementation of China’s four trillion yuan economic stimulus, the central government requires matching funds by local governments “100%” in place. Local governments already in financial difficulties are finding these requirements especially onerous, but are now being allowed to issue special bonds to come up with the cash. A problem: Will local governments ever be able to repay the five trillion yuan of bonds they have issued?

‘Brilliant’ Chinese women lead the business world

Half the world’s richest self-made women are Chinese.

For those of you who trade the market, this is an excellent article to read

The 2 key things to note:

1) Survival,
2) Absolute price of a stock is unimportant. It is the direction of the price movement that counts.

The Ren (人) Building in Shanghai


The Ren (人) Building in Shanghai






Shanghai’s icon of Architecture

Work on ‘worst building in history’ restarted


It was once dubbed by Esquire magazine as ‘the worst building in the history of mankind’ and seen as a symbol of the country’s failure, but 22 years after the first brick was laid, the 105-storey Ryugyong Hotel may finally be finished in three years’ time, reported the Telegraph.

Shenzhen will keep watch on extra IPO funds

The Shenzhen Stock Exchange will require the 28 firms scheduled to list on the new second board to disclose how they will use the extra proceeds from their initial public offerings. The decision came after the companies raised more funds than targeted.

Peak mansion ready for its next HSBC taipan


The reason HSBC Holdings gave up Skyhigh, perched on top of the Peak, for something further down the hill in 1991 was a “lightning decision”, according to some.

Little hope regulators will act on Ernst & Young case

So is the regulator going to do anything about Ernst & Young following the Akai Holdings scandal? That is the question being asked loud and clear about town and which has revealed itself in angry messages in my e-mail inbox this week.

Hedge Fund Chief Is Charged With Fraud


In all, six people were arrested, accused by prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission of earning more than $20 million from illegal trading in companies like Google, Akamai and Hilton Hotels over nearly three years.