Search

The article reports on the plan of the Ministry of Finance of China to restructure certain public contract regulations that foreign companies assert are detrimental to their business and advantageous to their domestic competitors.

The article reports on the decision of the Health Ministry in China to rule out milk powder as a cause in the apparent early onset of puberty in three infant girls claimed by their parents, as clinical tests of milk from Synutra International Inc. revealed acceptable levels of hormones.

The article reports on a string of accidents that happened in China's workplaces which, according to the author, show the country's problems with industrial safety.

The article reports on the detention of three employees of the Chinese mining company Zijin Mining Group Co. following an accident that sent acidic wastewater from its copper-processing plant flowing into the Ting River in Fujian province killing fish stocks.

The article reports that worker suicides in electronics manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. draw scrutiny on conditions for employees at one of the biggest foreign employers in China.

The article reports on the request made by North Korean leader Kim Jong II for China and other countries in the six-party dialogue to resume talks aimed at closing its nuclear-weapons programs.

The article reports on an emergency decree issued in 2010 by authorities in China for police to strengthen school security after a series of violent attacks on schoolchildren, which is viewed by many as an indication of wider social problems in the country.

The article reports on an earthquake that hit western China on April 14, 2010 which resulted in the deaths of students and teachers when dormitories and classrooms collapsed.

The article reports on the discovery of 21 dead fetuses and babies allegedly dumped along a river in Shandong, China which, in the author's view, has highlighted the gap between the values of rich urban China and the traditional attitudes that persist in some less-developed parts of the nation.

The article reports on the detention of two hospital morgue workers by Chinese police following the discovery of the corpses of 21 babies and fetuses under a bridge in the Chinese industrial city of Jining.

The article reports that former community doctor Zheng Minsheng allegedly stabbed to death eight students in an elementary school in Fujian province, China.

The article reports on the efforts of Chinese authorities in February 2010 to locate almost 100 tons of milk powder, which are said to contain a chemical called melamine, from Ningxia Tiantian Dairy Co. as the government attempts to avoid another case of milk contamination that occurred in 2008.

This article reports on the enthusiastic response of investors to the initial public offering (IPO) of Sichuan Expressway Co. The company's shares tripled on their first day of trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange finishing at 10.90 Chinese yuan, from the initial IPO price of 3.60 yuan. The IPO performance is only a reflection of the bullish sentiment in the stock market. It is expected that IPOs in the pipeline, such as China State Construction Engineering Corp., Everbright Securities Co. and China Everbright Group will have similar performance.

The article reports on the difficulty experienced by small Chinese companies in getting bank loans. The central bank in China stated that of the 591.8 billion yuan lent by China's banks in April 2009, majority went to nonfinancial and other types of companies. According to the article, banks usually ask collateral from small businesses but they would not accept farmland or factories, which businessmen can readily offer.

The article discusses the condition of victims of a May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China as of May 2009. Dwellings that are initially designed for migrant workers on construction sites house several victims. The value of the rebuilding effort, which consists of building permanent homes and replacing destroyed schools, hospitals and other infrastructure, is estimated at 1.7 trillion yuan. The speed of rebuilding in China is attributed by Yin Yin Nwe of the United Nations (UN) to government coordination.

The article focuses on the discovery by Chinese agricultural officials of poultry infected with a lethal form of avian influenza. They ordered the slaughter of 377,000 chickens in Jiangsu province northwest of Shanghai. The World Health Organization (WHO) urged governments in Asia and around the world to be vigilant against the H5N1 virus because of its potential to mutate into a more transmissible for and start a deadly pandemic.

The article reports on the plan of the Chinese government to liberalize the exchange of land among the nation's farmers. The purpose of the plan is to revitalize the rural economy at a time of increasing strains in food supply and slowing growth. In order to realize the plan, China will establish a market for rural land-use rights and encourage their transfer. It notes the threat posed by the loss of farmland to development to the government's goal to become self-sufficient in grain.

The article reports on the response of Chinese investors on the move of the government to launch a share-purchase plan to support its stock market in September 2008. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index increased by 18%. The investors are said to have shown distrust of the government's plan and are seeking for more support. Authorities stated that the three biggest Chinese banks have purchased two million yuan-denominated class A shares in each institution.

The article reports on the Chinese government's plans to revive China's stock market. Central Huijin Investment Co. will increase its shareholdings in the nation's three largest banks, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Bank of China Ltd., and China Construction Bank Corp. Other government entities will also increase their equity investments in listed companies that they control. The Shanghai Composite Index has declined 70% from 2007's all time high of 6124.40 to September 18, 2008's low point of 1816.

The article reports that China utilized its foreign-exchange reserves to purchase bonds from Costa Rica in order to persuade the Latin American nation to shift diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan. The information was contained in documents released by the Costa Rican government. A long tradition of "checkbook diplomacy" practiced by rivals China and Taiwan led to the Costa Rica purchase. China's economic strength has allowed it to outmaneuver Taiwan and convince countries to change their ties.

The article reports on the mine disaster at Tashan Mining Co. in China on September 8, 2008. Tashan Mining reportedly operated the iron-ore mine illegally, leading Chinese authorities to suspend local officials and to arrest the company's executives. As of September 11, the death toll has reached 178 from a mudslide caused by drainage pond.

The article reports on scrap metal scavenging activities at the site damaged by the earthquake in Sichuan, China on May 12, 2008. Several school buildings collapsed because of the earthquake. The scavenging reportedly raises fears that scrap metal salvaged from the said building will be used for new constructions.

This article focuses on the preparations being made by the city of Shanghai, China for the 2010 World's Expo amidst the 2008 Beijing Olympics being held in Beijing, China. The countdown starts in Shanghai for the World's Expo, not for the Olympics. Despite the popularity of the Olympics, the city government of Shanghai takes seriously both its role as co-host for the Olympics and its opportunity to host the Expo. A road tunnel project is ongoing in Shanghai in preparation for the Expo.

This section offers world news briefs. U.S. President George W. Bush will leave for an Asian trip which will help mark the emergence of China and seek to reassure longtime allies in the region that the U.S. still stands on them. The Olympic torch started a procession through the earthquake-ravaged province of Sichuan and covered a route that skirts the hardest-hit areas.

The article reports on an energy agreement formed by Japan and China in 2008 which, according to the author, could be a major step in the recent hostile relation between the two countries. Under the agreement, Japanese companies are allowed to invest in the natural gas fields development project in East China Sea. Meanwhile, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura expects that there will be a long and difficult negotiations before the agreed joint natural gas exploration could begin.

The article reports on the condition of a Juyuan Middle School building in the aftermath of the earthquake that strike Sichuan, China in 2008. The building was reduced to rubble and many students were killed due to the earthquake. The official Xinhua news agency initially stated that 900 people were trapped at the building but later changed it to only 100. The entire blocks of seven and eight-story apartments on the other side of the town collapsed.

The article deals with the issue of underage laborers in export-manufacturing factories in China. A newspaper based in Guangzhou province reported the existence of the child-worker network prompting Chinese authorities to inspect more than 3,600 factories employing about 450,000 people. More than 100 children are in custody as a result of the inspection and will be returned to their parents in the Liangshan district of Sichuan Province.

The article reports that stock prices in China are competing and companies are delaying initial public offerings of stock. According to government officials, the timing is right to establish a market that will give opportunities for small companies to sell stock and raise money. Premier Wen Jiabao reportedly included starting a growth enterprise market (GEM) in his list of the government's economic aims for 2008. It is noted that stock markets dedicated to small companies have been prone to abuses.

The article cites government inaction as a reason for investors looking for relief from China's bear market. The Shanghai Composite Index fell on March 18, 2008 as the annual session of the National People's Congress ended with no indication that the government plans to prop up sagging stocks. The decline was the eight in 10 sessions and put the Shanghai index down 40 percent in five months. According to the article, the stock downturn could have broader implications for the economy.

The article discusses the effects of the surging iron ore prices on Chinese investors and the extremely price-sensitive consumers of China in 2008. According to the author, if companies that sell products raise their prices, they run the risk of declines in demand and market share but if they do not, their profit margin will erode. Investors in turn, he says, will be wary of owning stocks even in established brands like Haier Electronics Group and may be forced to sell their stocks.

The article offers information on the China government bond market as of February 28, 2008. It states that despite the high level of inflation in China, prices in the government bond market are rising. The author cites the case of Chinese banks which are on a buying frenzy for local bonds while hoping that the government will lift interest rates. Despite the rally, Chinese traders said that the trend does not really make the government debt-securities a good investment.

The article reports that stock markets around the world mostly rose on January 29, 2008, as investors reassessed the year's declines and on expectations of a further cut in U.S. interest rates at the January 30 meeting. The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index rose 1.8% to 324.31, while in London, England, the FTSE 100 index advanced 1.7% to 5885.20. In Tokyo, Japan, the Nikkei Stock Average rose 35 to 13478.86.

The article reports that severe winter storms are threatening China's national economy in 2008. The severe weather has slowed or halted road, rail and air transport all over China and disrupted deliveries of goods such as food and coal. Chinese authorities have called for emergency cuts in energy supplies to manufacturing industries in efforts to ensure enough power for heating homes and keep important public utilities open including hospitals, rail transport and financial institutions.

The article reports on the establishment of the Robb Report in China, targeting the rising upper crust dubbed as the New Nobility. The Robb Report Lifestyle catalog promotes elite brands such as Volkswagen sports cars and Lursen yachts. According to the article, continuing boom in property development and export manufacturing have generated Chinese wealth in previous years.

The article reports on the protests due to the stabbing of labor leader Huang Qingnan in China that reflect the growing tension on the widening gap between the rich and the poor amidst a looming new labor law that will take effect on January 1, 2008. The law which according to the article, is the most significant overhaul of workplace regulation in a decade, contains provisions that include granting permanent status to some workers. Huang offers counseling including advising laid off workers on how to seek fair compensation from employers.

The article reports that European health-care stocks are on the rebound as of November 2007 after several months of losses, though some investors have called for a bottom for the beleaguered sector. It reports that the European Dow Jones Stoxx index rose 0.8 percent to 351.86. Stocks of airline companies, led by Air France-KLM, also climbed. An analysis of the problems faced by drug companies and performance of the FTSE and Nikkei Stocks is presented.

The article reports on China's benchmark stock index plunging to its lowest level since mid-August 2007. The performance is attributed to government policies that have removed the market's momentum. The Chinese government is giving more signals that it discourages any eventuality of an asset bubble. The Shanghai Composite Index pulled the market to its first close below the 5000 mark since August 22, 2007. On the other hand, Shanghai Composite was off from record in October 2007 by roughly a fifth.

The article reports on the plan of China to introduce new antipollution regulations for its export industry, collaborating with the government's environmental-enforcement arm and the Ministry of Commerce. Moreover, Zhang Li-jun, vice director of China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) announced that export manufacturers that would violate the law would be forced to close. SEPA also announced a new green credit policy on financial institutions as well as employing new initiatives that have a direct effect on companies' operations.

The article focuses on the increasing number of merger and acquisition (M&A) activities among Chinese companies in 2007. The $29.4 billion in local M&A transactions announced for the first nine months of the year exceeds last year's record full-year amount of $24.41 billion. According to Thomson Financial, the average size of domestic deals declared during the year is only $25.1 million. It notes that the most obvious factor encouraging such deals is a sharp increase in stock indexes.

The article reports on the copyright violation complaints against Apple Inc. from China's Union for the Protection of the Rights of Writers.

The article reports on the prison sentence imposed by a Chinese court against three people for collaborating to steal information from a key supplier regarding the Apple iPad2.

The article reports on a license received by Chinese payment-services firm Alipay from the Chinese central bank on May 26, 2011 to operate under new rules that require such providers to be locally held.

The article reports on the meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong II and Chinese President Hu Jintao during a five-day visit of the former to China in August 2010 which is said to highlight the bond between the two nations.

The article reports on the allegation that the pilot who died in a plane crash in Shanghai, China on August 17, 2010 was a North Korean who fled his country.

The article focuses on law enforcement authorities in Suichang County, China who would be required by Lishui City officials to apologize to Chinese business reporter Qiu Ziming after they put him on a wanted list for articles criticizing local paper manufacturer Zhejiang Kan Specialty Material Co. in July 2010.

The article reports on the decision of electronics manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. to raise wages for its employees in China in 2010.

The article reports on the attention directed to the treatment of the mentally ill in China in light of the various attacks on children in the country.

The article reports on the security measures taken in schools in China following a series of violent attacks on school children which include police patrols, provision of steel forks and establishment of a volunteer security team comprised of parents.

The article reports on the concerns raised over how the mentally ill are addressed in China following a series of knife attacks in schools since March 2010.

The article focuses on the decision of former Rio Tinto PLC executive Australian Stern Hu not to appeal his 10-year sentence for taking bribes and commercial secrets while employed by the Anglo-Australian miner.