Saturday, 7 January 2012

Home ownership after 2047? It’s risky

There is no guarantee that you will own your flat forever.

Shanghai flies the flag for expats in pension scheme row

Fearing loss of foreign investment, the municipal government stalls over implementing unpopular rule

Mainland mulls expanding tax to more cities

Guangzhou, Nanjing next to face levy on property deals after trial runs in Shanghai, Chongqing

Now is the time for Japan to build Shenzhen of its own

China’s neighbour has lost sight of the policy innovation and vibrancy that once propelled it

Worries Grow as China Land Sales Slump

Land sales slowed sharply in China last year, according to a series of industry reports that highlight the deepening woes of debt-laden local governments that depend on land auctions as a crucial revenue source.

Private Chen’s Family Learns More About Hazing by Fellow G.I.’s

The officers in command of the battalion of Pvt. Danny Chen, who the Army says committed suicide in Afghanistan in October after being hazed by fellow soldiers, were aware of the harsh treatment he had repeatedly received, his family said Thursday.

Some return units to developers, fearing price dip

They prefer to forfeit 1.25% of unit price; developers still sanguine

I Honestly Love You - Oliva Newton John

Thursday, 5 January 2012

Forbes China: Top ten safest countries for Chinese overseas investment

Forbes China has released its first overseas investment "risk list" for Chinese investors. Like all risk rankings, they gauged things like regional political stability, government corruption, legal system factors, and indicators of social stability and economic opportunities. Whether the Chinese follow these risk assessments is another thing entirely.

Lafite 2008 value halves as fine wine prices fall

Fine wine prices in 2011 showed their most dramatic fall since 2008 – with some values dropping by nearly half.

 Read article

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Chinese Retailer Casts Doubt on TV Investigation

Last July, China’s biggest state-run television broadcaster accused a luxury retailer named DaVinci Furniture of passing off low-quality goods from a factory in southern China as premium imports from Italy and other foreign lands.

Now, DaVinci has pointed the cameras and microphones back at the broadcaster, according to a report in current issue of the weekly magazine Caixin. The magazine is regarded as one of the most authoritative business publications in mainland China.

Singapore to slash ministers’ million-dollar pay

Singapore will slash its top politicians’ unpopular multimillion-dollar salaries by at least a third, a new salary scale showed Wednesday, but its ministers will stay among the best paid in the world.

Thursday, 29 December 2011

The way of the dragon

Greater China will be looking to draw on all the symbolism of the mythical creature in 2012 as it confronts transition and a world in a state of flux

Global economic crisis hits China’s exporters

As orders have tailed off, the cost of raw materials and labour have surged, with workers striking to demand higher pay.

China property market in crisis

Beijing’s pricking of the real estate bubble is resulting in a price war among developers desperate to survive, fuelling severe domestic and global repercussions

Wall Street jobs no longer an Ivy dream amid turmoil

America's 'best and brightest' are veering away from finance careers as investment banking goes bust

Asia may feel like world's ending next year

Here are eight risks that may get in Asia's way:

Wednesday, 28 December 2011

China needs new policy course as capital tide turns

China’s economy has surfed for years on a crest of hefty capital inflows, but the tide that brought gains in money supply is turning as global growth slows.

China real-estate prices must fall further: AgBank

Government adjustments to housing prices should aim for an up-to-25% downward revision, according to a report by Agricultural Bank of China, one of China’s big four state banks.

We won’t fall like USSR, Beijing vows

Articles mark 20th anniversary of Soviet collapse by pledging that China will adhere to its stability-based growth model, despite mounting challenges