Monthly Archives: June 2009
A Building Falls In Shanghai
A block of apartments under construction in Shanghai just fell over, as if it had been built out of Lego bricks and toppled with the flick of a finger. There is nothing much else to say, or at least until … Continue reading
Filed under Politics & Society, Product Safety
Reality Check Advisory
When the figures are released for June, power generation is expected to show its first monthly increase in eight months. A sign of recovering economic activity, or a byproduct of the hot weather that parts of the country have been … Continue reading
Zhou Bangs On About The SDR As World Currency
The People’s Bank of China has found a drum and continues to beat it. In its annual financial stability report, the central bank again calls for a super-sovereign currency to replace the dollar. The bank’s head, Zhou Xiaochuan, has been … Continue reading
Filed under China-U.S., Economy, Markets
Beijing Starts To Play By WTO Rules. Good.
There was a time when Beijing quietly settled WTO trade complaints against China. In the first five years after joining the organization in 2001, it didn’t contest a single complaint against it. No longer. It says it will contest the … Continue reading
Filed under China-E.U., China-U.S., Economy, Politics & Society
Google and Baidu, Pornography and Protectionism
Is Beijing’s reining in of Google trade protectionism–or a shake down? The FT reported that Google has ben ordered to stop users of its Chinese-language service accessing overseas web sites. The directive is to suspend foreign searches and a feature … Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Anglo American Next In Chinalco’s Sights?
The consolidation of the global natural resources industry in response to the bursting of the the commodities bubble of the early years of the decade and the subsequent global recession means one of two things: more joint ventures such as … Continue reading
Reports of Beijing Selling Off Its Treasuries Are Misplaced
Brad Setser’s Follow The Money blog on the Council On Foreign Relations site is always worth the read for anyone following global capital flows, and especially his post questioning whether China sold down some of its Treasuries in April as … Continue reading
Filed under China-U.S., Economy, Uncategorized
Beijing Mulls Easing FDI Rules
Worried by eight consecutive months of falling foreign direct investment, Beijing is considering relaxing the FDI rules, according to the China Times. Forty-two rules covering tax, foreign exchange, other regulatory supervision, has been submitted to the state council for approval, … Continue reading
Filed under Economy
World Bank Raises China Growth Forecast
The World Bank has raised its forecast for China’s economic growth this year from 6.5% (its March forecast) to 7.2%. That is shy of the magical 8% Beijing is shooting for but a sign of how last year’s four trillion … Continue reading
Filed under Economy
Beijing Hints At Flexing Its New Antitrust Muscles On Behalf Of Jilted Chinalco
There was obviously some wounded pride following the collapse of Chinalco’s proposed $19.5 billion investment in Rio Tinto. But to add insult to injury, Rio is now proposing an iron-ore joint venture with BHP Billiton in Western Australia. Such a … Continue reading
Filed under China-Australia, Economy, Markets
