The Foreign Street China Brief

Issue 1: Chinese troubles with a Japanese textbook etc.

Chinese officials reach out to Japan

Chris Buckley

784 words

7 April 2005

International Herald Tribune

BEIJING:

Faced with a spreading grass-roots campaign in China to boycott Japanese goods to protest war crimes, two high-ranking Chinese government officials met Wednesday with Japanese business leaders and called instead for greater trade between the countries. Tang Jiaxuan, a former Chinese foreign minister and ambassador to Tokyo who now serves as a senior government adviser, met with a senior executive from the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi. Wu Yi, a deputy prime minister in charge of trade, met with the president of the Japanese YKK Group, according to reports on the state-run Xinhua news agency.

International Herald Tribune

China-Japan ties become more tense

Chua Chin Hon and Kwan Weng Kin, Japan Correspondent In Tokyo

667 words

7 April 2005

Straits Times

China lodges textbook protest Japan's envoy in turn tells China toput its house in order

SIMMERING tension between China and Japan racheted up a notch yesterday, with the latest row over Japan's new history textbooks sparking a robust response from Tokyo.

SPH AsiaOne Ltd.

Beijing in a tight spot over Tokyo's new textbooks

Chua Chin Hon , China Correspondent

601 words

7 April 2005

Straits Times

Public wants tough action on Japan but China wants room to manoeuvre

BEIJING - RISING public unhappiness over Japan's controversial new school textbooks has put Beijing in a tight spot, as ordinary Chinese demand their government emulate Seoul's tough talk against Tokyo.

SPH AsiaOne Ltd.

War of words over textbook escalates

Beijing is accused of provoking anti-Japan feeling China says Tokyo is failing to face up to its past

cultureShi Jiangtao and Agence France-Presse in Beijing

493 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

The row over Japan's approval of history textbooks which gloss over wartime atrocities has escalated, with both Beijing and Tokyo accusing the other of provoking nationalist sentiment.

The Japanese embassy spokesman in Beijing yesterday criticised the Chinese government for failing to provide its people with positive information about post-war Japan.

SCMP.com Limited

Anti-Japan Protests Reflect Deep Shift

--- As Tokyo and Beijing Build New Status, Anxiety Rises Throughout Asia Region

By Sebastian Moffett in Tokyo, Gordon Fairclough in Seoul and Charles Hutzler in Beijing

1071 words

7 April 2005

The Asian Wall Street Journal

The escalating anti-Japanese protests in South Korea and China have focused on local historical and territorial spats. But analysts say the anger is rooted in a longer-term and deeper shift: Over time, great economic growth has created geopolitical giants in the form of China and Japan, and their status is creating anxiety in the region.

The protests have grown during the past few days from street demonstrations and Internet petitions to product boycotts. This new phase threatens to tarnish thriving economic relations in the region, which had been relatively unaffected by diplomatic tensions. The extreme reactions from Japan's neighbors also could complicate U.S. efforts to promote Tokyo as a more active player on the international stage.

Dow Jones & Company Inc.

Japan asserts right to decide how to rewrite history

Julian Ryall in Tokyo

501 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

Confronted with criticism from China and South Korea over the nationalist New History Textbook, the Japanese government yesterday defended its right to decide what the country's students should learn.

"This criticism has happened before, with China and South Korea upset at one of the four books that were authorised four years ago, and it's the same case now," said Akira Chiba, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo.

SCMP.com Limited

China Rejects Plans to Expand Security Council

By WARREN HOGE

295 words

7 April 2005

The New York Times

UNITED NATIONS, April 6 -- China signaled on Wednesday that it would resist plans to enlarge the Security Council this year, a proposal that is the centerpiece of Secretary General Kofi Annan's broad package of changes for the United Nations to be taken up at a meeting of heads of state in September.

Mr. Annan put forward two basic plans last month to expand the membership on the Council to 24 from its current 15, and he urged the General Assembly to decide on the proper model by the time of the September gathering. He said the makeup of the Council must be broadened to capture modern realities of global power.

New York Times Digital (Full Text)

Chinese call to boycott Japan

Peter Alford Tokyo correspondent

524 words

7 April 2005

The Australian

SOME of Japan's senior business leaders have put their companies at risk of a Chinese consumer boycott by supporting the nationalist group responsible for the latest history textbook row.

A Chinese business website has accused 10 Japanese companies with Chinese business interests -- including Asahi Brewing, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, foodmaker Ajinomoto Co and Chugai Pharmaceuticals -- of backing the Japanese Society of History Textbook Reform and called for a China-wide boycott.

Nationwide News Pty Ltd.

Issue 2: Sino-Vatican ties

The Church in China

By Joseph Kung

721 words

7 April 2005

The Asian Wall Street Journal

A11

China claimed to be wishing Pope John Paul II a "speedy recovery" during his long illness, and expressed condolences following his death. Yet Beijing's behavior tells a different story. Since the start of this year, the Chinese government has imprisoned three bishops, and two other senior members of the underground Roman Catholic Church that accepts the pope's leadership. Two more bishops have been placed under 24-hour surveillance.

Beijing also instituted a news blackout of any unauthorized reports concerning the Pope's death. And a foreign ministry spokesman qualified China's expressions of interest in improving relations with the Vatican by insisting that the Holy See must not only cut diplomatic ties with the Taiwan but also "undertake not to interfere with the religious affairs in China."

Dow Jones & Company Inc.

A Beijing-Vatican Deal?

506 words

7 April 2005

The New York Sun

Just as world leaders are gathering at the Vatican for the funeral of the pope who faced down Soviet communism comes word that a deal may be in the works between the Holy See and the Chinese communists. According to Bishop Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, the Vatican is on the verge of breaking ties with Taipei in order to establish them with Beijing, which outlaws the Catholic Church and maintains communist-controlled official churches.

No one at the Vatican has stepped forward to confirm or deny the Bishop's prediction. But it's hard to imagine such a deal with the Chinese communists being hatched at a time when John Paul II was at the height of his powers. Indeed, it's hard to see such a deal as anything but a repudiation of much of what he stood for. And it's hard to imagine what the Vatican could be thinking it might get out of any deal with the communist camarilla in Peking.

The New York Sun

China's Divided Catholics Unite, if Just to Mourn

By JIM YARDLEY Keith Bradsher contributed reporting from Hong Kong for this article.

1353 words

7 April 2005

The New York Times

SHIJIAZHUANG, China, April 6 -- With a large, framed photo of Pope John Paul II propped atop a makeshift altar, a Chinese priest named Father Joseph stood before a few hundred peasants on Wednesday and led a memorial Mass that broke the law.

The Mass, videotaped and later shown by the priest to a reporter, was held in a dusty courtyard rather than a church. Father Joseph said villagers had kept watch outside as he slowly raised a wafer above his head for the consecration. Then parishioners hurriedly paraded in the village holding aloft the portrait of John Paul II before dispersing.

New York Times Digital (Full Text)

Holy See eager to open relations with China

Taiwan concessions possible, bishop says

HONG KONG

493 words

7 April 2005

The Globe and Mail

A14

The Vatican is ready to make concessions on the appointment of bishops in China in order to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing, the head of the Hong Kong Roman Catholic diocese said yesterday.

Bishop Joseph Zen said the Holy See is eager to open talks with Beijing, but one remaining stumbling block is China's refusal to allow the Vatican to appoint bishops, saying that would amount to interference in its internal affairs.

Bell Globemedia Interactive

Issue 3: The Basic Law according to Beijing

Hong Kong Ready to Involve Beijing in Coming Vote for Executive

By KEITH BRADSHER

616 words

7 April 2005

The New York Times

HONG KONG, April 6 -- Hong Kong asked the Chinese government on Wednesday to issue a legally binding decision on how long the next chief executive will serve here. Such a decision would be the third intervention by Beijing in the legal system here.

Democracy advocates strongly criticized the government for seeking the interpretation, saying it represented another surrender of Hong Kong's autonomy and undermined the rule of law here.

New York Times Digital (Full Text)

Hong Kong requests China ruling on term

Keith Bradsher

731 words

7 April 2005

International Herald Tribune

HONG KONG:

The government here asked Beijing on Wednesday to issue a legally binding decision on how long the territory's next chief executive would serve. A ruling on the issue would be the third direct intervention by China in Hong Kong's legal system. Democracy advocates strongly criticized the government for seeking the interpretation, saying that it represented another surrender of part of Hong Kong's autonomy and undermined the rule of law in the territory. But Donald Tsang, the acting chief executive, said that a binding decision from Beijing was needed to make sure that legal challenges did not prevent elections for the next chief executive from being held as scheduled on July 10.

International Herald Tribune

Hong Kong requests China ruling on term of next leader

Vince Chong , Hong Kong Correspondent

682 words

7 April 2005

Straits Times

Move to ensure July polls won't be disrupted by legal challenge: Tsang

THE Hong Kong government is seeking Beijing's help as a growing crisis over the term of the next chief executive threatens to derail the leadership election set for July.

SPH AsiaOne Ltd.

Hong Kong Chief Asks Beijing's Aid On Term Length

Associated Press

490 words

7 April 2005

The Asian Wall Street Journal

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's leader said he will ask Beijing to settle a dispute over how long Hong Kong's next elected leader should serve, a move pro-democracy groups warn will subvert the city's cherished rule of law.

The controversy is about whether the successor to unpopular Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa -- who resigned last month citing failing health -- should finish the two years left in Mr. Tung's term or serve a full five-year term.

Dow Jones & Company Inc.

HK seeks mainland ruling on chief executive.

By ALEXANDRA HARNEY

439 words

7 April 2005

Financial Times

Page 4

Hong Kong has asked Beijing to interpret its constitution's provisions on the replacement of a chief executive, in a move that will deepen tensions with the territory's pro-democracy movement.

Donald Tsang, who took over as acting chief executive last month following the resignation of Tung Chee-hwa two years before his term ended, yesterday told legislators he had asked China's State Council, or cabinet, to request a committee in the national legislature to interpret the Basic Law at the end of this month.

The Financial Times Limited

Not the only, or the best, solution

906 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

A request from Hong Kong to Beijing to interpret the Basic Law is a matter of great moment and seriousness. It should be made only out of necessity, not convenience.

The Hong Kong government's request yesterday for central authorities to interpret the Basic Law has the great virtue that it will remove uncertainty about the length of the next chief executive's term. It will also ensure that any legal challenge in the courts is doomed to failure.

SCMP.com Limited

Inevitable - and a price worth paying

- The need for political stability outweighs autonomy concerns

AnalysisWang Xiangwei in Beijing

463 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

Hong Kong's decision to ask Beijing to interpret the Basic Law over the term of the next chief executive was inevitable. It is a price worth paying to ensure the political stability of Hong Kong, despite concerns it could further undermine the city's high level of autonomy.

Beijing appears a reluctant player in the game and wants it known that its hand has been forced by the threat of a judicial review.

SCMP.com Limited

'This is the only option that is in the interests of Hong Kong is lawful and constitutional'

Courts are bypassed as Beijing is asked to decide on the next chief executive's term.

Jimmy Cheung and Gary Cheung

784 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

An authoritative interpretation of the Basic Law is the only option to avoid the grave danger of a constitutional crisis that may arise from disputes over the chief executive's term of office, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said yesterday.

Announcing the controversial decision to ask Beijing for an interpretation, the acting chief executive warned of a high risk if the row was left to the courts to resolve.

SCMP.com Limited

International Relations

Wen Says China Poses No Threat To Its Neighbors

--- Beijing Moves to Ease Fears In India, Elsewhere as It Pushes for Trade Growth

By John Larkin in Bombay and Charles Hutzler in Beijing

886 words

7 April 2005

The Asian Wall Street Journal

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised that his country will never use its economic power to seek hegemony in Asia, stepping up a regional charm offensive that Beijing's neighbors hope will translate into a trade bonanza with the world's fastest-growing economy.

Speaking at an economic conference during a visit to Pakistan, Mr. Wen described peace as a precondition for further prosperity in Asia. His messages appear tailored to allay fears, especially in India, that economic engagement with Beijing could expose its partners to a domineering foreign policy.

Dow Jones & Company Inc.

China is no threat, Wen reassures Asian bloc

Like the rest of our neighbours, we love peace and cherish stability, says premier

Chan Siu-sin in Islamabad

535 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday sought to assure the 26-member Asia Co-operation Dialogue that a stronger and more developed China will not pose a threat to other countries.

In a keynote address delivered at the opening of the annual gathering in the Pakistani capital, Mr Wen dismissed concerns of China being a threat as "completely misplaced".

SCMP.com Limited

Seal put on historic friendship pact

Chan Siu-sin

394 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

China and Pakistan have signed a historic Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation.

The pact was among the 22 agreements sealed between the two countries shortly after Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday.

SCMP.com Limited

Asian giants getting friendly

Economics trumps politics in New Delhi and Beijing India, China hype Wen Jiabao's visit Seen as key step to cementing ties

Martin Regg Cohn

1257 words

7 April 2005

The Toronto Star

A10

NEW DELHI -- Four decades after going to war, India and China are becoming fast friends, pondering their combined might as two Asian giants bestriding the world stage.

With 40 per cent of the world's population in their countries - each with more than 1 billion people - New Delhi and Beijing hope to remake Asia's geopolitical landscape as detente takes hold between these two erstwhile enemies.

Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd.

Rival giants learn about each other

Asad Latif

784 words

7 April 2005

Straits Times

Frank dialogue, opposing views offer insight into how China, India can interact

CHINESE national Xiang Biao turned up at an international conference yesterday wearing a delicately-embroidered long-sleeved tunic or kurta, and loose drawstring pants.

SPH AsiaOne Ltd.

US group says China's relocation of Inner Mongolian herdsmen rights abuse

473 words

7 April 2005

BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific

Text of report by Ray Cheung in Beijing carried by Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post web site on 7 April

The relocation of herdsmen in Inner Mongolia for the sake of environmental protection is causing massive human rights violations to the indigenous people, a US-based advocacy group has claimed.

British Broadcasting Corporation

Russian designers offer tsunami warning technologies to PRC.

282 words

7 April 2005

ITAR-TASS World Service

By Andrei Kirillov and Konstantin Shchepin

BEIJING, April 7 (Itar-Tass) � Russian designers offer the newest technologies to China to combat floods and provide early warnings about tsunami at the 6th international environmental protection and water purification exhibition that opened here on Thursday. The opening ceremony was attended by Yuri Trutnev, Russian Minister of Natural Resources.

ITAR-TASS Information Telegraph Agency of Russia

An era ends as China becomes an aid donor

Today's shipload of wheat given by Canada will be the last received in the fast-growing economy, GEOFFREY YORK writes

GEOFFREY YORK

747 words

7 April 2005

The Globe and Mail

When a freighter docks in a southern Chinese port today with more than 43,000 tonnes of donated Canadian wheat, it will mark the end of an era in Canada's relationship with China.

For 45 years, China has turned to Canadian wheat to help alleviate hunger among its impoverished millions. But the shipment that arrives in China today is the final delivery of food aid from the World Food Program, the United Nations agency that distributes food from Canada and other countries.

Bell Globemedia Interactive

Arms embargo on China divides defence industry

The next government will come under US pressure to keep the weapons ban during the UK's EU presidency, writes Mark Huband.

By MARK HUBAND

789 words

7 April 2005

Financial Times

Page 4

The government'ssensitivity to US concerns about the possible lifting of the European Union arms embargo on China has convinced leading defence companies in Britain that the ban will probably stay in place at least until next year.

Few industry insiders expect the embargo, which was imposed in the wake of the slaughter of pro-democracy activists in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, to be lifted before Britain takes over the EU presidency in July.

The Financial Times Limited

Alliances with China and Venezuela bolster Cuba

ECONOMIC RECOVERY.

By MARC FRANK

695 words

7 April 2005

Financial Times

Page 11

Cuba's new alliances with resource-hungry China and oil-rich Venezuela and growing state control of the economy are finally allowing it to pull out of the gruelling crisis caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s.

That, at least, is the message that an increasingly optimistic President Fidel Castro has taken to delivering in weekly television broadcasts.

The Financial Times Limited

Government, Law & Politics

Growing needs of poor in China, India a 'time bomb'

Bhagyashree Garekar

399 words

7 April 2005

Straits Times

THE healthy hum of China and India's economies nearly succeeds in drowning out a rather disconcerting development.

Both Asian giants, whose growth rates are the envy of the world, are failing to provide for their elderly, their poor and the rural segments of their populations.

SPH AsiaOne Ltd.

Poor, rich disparities affect women, children's health care

764 words

7 April 2005

Xinhua News Agency

by Fan Xi and Li Xing

BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China has made substantial progress in improving maternal and child health, but great disparities between developed eastern and underdeveloped western regions, urban and rural areas as well as the rich and poor may affect China's drive to achieve better results, experts say.

Xinhua News Agency

China's cyber-warriors on the march

608 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

At the dawn of the internet age, many visionaries predicted the rising tide of global interconnectedness would gradually eliminate sovereign borders and nationalism. The experience of China, which today is more open than at any time in the past, however, belies that expectation. Internet-savvy Chinese youngsters have emerged as virulent nationalists, hampering Beijing's attempts at better relations with Japan.

Anti-Japanese sentiment among young Chinese people is increasing significantly. Ironically, China's opening up and the internet are playing a key role in this trend.

SCMP.com Limited

China declares war on mosquitoes in preparation for 2008 Olympics

Dengue fever, malaria among reasons for mobilization of Beijing's population

PETTI FONG

598 words

7 April 2005

The Globe and Mail

Once ordered by Chairman Mao to be killed as one of the country's biggest evils, mosquitoes are again enemies of the state in China.

China hopes to rid Beijing of mosquitoes in time for the Olympics in 2008 by engaging an army of volunteers to search for breeding grounds that attract the insects.

Bell Globemedia Interactive

Those hazy days of spring in Beijing

Capital records highest pollution ratings of the year

Irene Wang

358 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

Warm weather, still conditions and 2.3 million vehicles combined to make yesterday and Tuesday the most polluted days of the year so far in Beijing.

Air pollution index readings of 332 and 352 over the two days pushed the capital's air quality above the "seriously polluted" benchmark of 300.

SCMP.com Limited

Greater China & Provincial News

Beijing firecracker ban may be about to go up in smoke.

311 words

7 April 2005

Reuters News

BEIJING, April 7 (Reuters) - Beijing may soon be ringing in the Chinese New Year again with a bang.

China's capital, which for years has banned Spring Festival firecrackers without much success, appears about to give in to the masses and let the rulebook go up in smoke, the China Daily said on Thursday.

Reuters Ltd.

Taiwan probes politicians over links with China.

By KATHRIN HILLE

359 words

7 April 2005

Financial Times

Page 9

Taiwan prosecutors are investigating whether opposition politicians are guilty of treason by agreeing with Beijing to work towards closer cross-Strait ties.

The Taiwanese cabinet said yesterday that it would tighten enforcement of restrictions on cross-Strait trade and investment and postpone planned liberalisation steps to reflect its fury over China's new anti- secession law.

The Financial Times Limited

Taiwan investigates politicians for treason over links with China.

By KATHRIN HILLE

525 words

7 April 2005

Financial Times

Page 4

Taiwan prosecutors are investigating whether opposition politicians are guilty of treason by agreeing with Beijing to work towards closer cross-Strait ties.

The Financial Times Limited

Treason, says Chen of unauthorised deals with China

Lawrence Chung , Taiwan Correspondent

488 words

7 April 2005

Straits Times

TAIPEI - TAIWANESE President Chen Shui-bian has ordered that people or businesses making unauthorised agreements with rival China be liable to be charged with treason.

The order is seen by analysts as targeted at the main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), whose vice-chairman Chiang Pin-kung may face a treason charge for reaching consensus with senior Chinese officials during a five-day visit to China last week.

SPH AsiaOne Ltd.

Business & the Economy

Europe Lays Path For Fresh Quotas On China Textiles

By Juliane Von Reppert-Bismarck Dow Jones Newswires

516 words

7 April 2005

The Asian Wall Street Journal

The European Union Commission proposed limits on Chinese textile imports, which, if breached, would allow it to impose emergency quotas.

The EU will allow Chinese textiles imports to increase between 10% and 100% from 2004 levels, depending on the product, before it considers taking action.

Dow Jones & Company Inc.

A question of quotas

Some say lifting restrictions on Chinese apparel has hurt

David Armstrong

1040 words

7 April 2005

The San Francisco Chronicle

C.1

The Bush administration's decision to open an inquiry into whether temporary safeguards are needed to protect U.S. industry from a flood of imported apparel from China is not only driving a wedge between Washington and Beijing, but also pitting one major sector of U.S. business against another.

U.S. textile and clothing manufacturers and labor unions, alarmed at the loss of jobs to China after the long-planned abolition of quotas on Jan. 1, support the inquiry, which could last several months and result in renewed limits on some Chinese imports.

The Hearst Corporation

EU sets guidelines for Chinese textile imports

332 words

7 April 2005

The Globe and Mail

B13

The European Union's head office agreed on guidelines yesterday on how far Chinese textile imports can increase before the EU considers emergency barriers to protect its domestic industry. �There are serious concerns about the impact of a surge of Chinese imports on EU textile industries,� EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson said. Under the guidelines, he said, increases of more than 10 per cent on 2004 levels would trigger an EU investigation and informal talks with the Chinese on possible protection measures. Adopting the guidelines does not automatically mean the EU would adopt barriers to Chinese imports, Mr. Mandelson said. �My message to China is that the guidelines are not a legal instrument, but an indication to everyone involved of how, when and at what stages we would need to act,� Mr. Mandelson said. AP

Bell Globemedia Interactive

EU resists call to impose curbs on Chinese textile imports.

By EDWARD ALDEN and RAPHAEL MINDER

468 words

7 April 2005

Financial Times

Page 9

Peter Mandelson, the European Union's trade commissioner, yesterday resisted pressure to introduce immediate restrictions on Chinese textile imports, insisting that inconclusive trade data meant the EU could not justify curbs for the time being.

Concerns about Chinese clothing flooding European and American markets have been triggered by the worldwide lifting of textile quotas on January 1.

The Financial Times Limited

Bank finds resilience in Asia

Keith Bradsher

440 words

7 April 2005

International Herald Tribune

HONG KONG:

Economic growth is likely to remain strong in developing countries in Asia for the next three years, the Asian Development Bank said on Wednesday, emphasizing the extent to which the region has put behind it the problems that led to the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998.

International Herald Tribune

Key Chinese Banks To Add Fund Firms

Dow Jones Newswires

257 words

7 April 2005

The Asian Wall Street Journal

SHANGHAI -- The People's Bank of China said China Construction Bank, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China and Bank of Communications have been chosen to set up fund-management companies as part of a pilot program.

With the approval of China's State Council, the central bank and the country's securities and banking regulators chose the three banks for the pilot, the central bank said in a notice posted on its Web site.

Dow Jones & Company Inc.

Chinese Lender to Tap HSBC's Risk Expertise

--- Bank of Communications Turns to Key Shareholder To Help Fix Loan Problems

By J.R. Wu Dow Jones Newswires

581 words

7 April 2005

The Asian Wall Street Journal

SHANGHAI -- Bank of Communications, China's fifth-biggest commercial bank, has identified critical weaknesses in its operations and plans to work on fixing them, including using the expertise of major stakeholder HSBC Holdings PLC.

The Shanghai-based lender will push to be the first of the nation's five largest banks to go public, aiming to do so this year, and work to meet the listing requirements for the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges, bank Chairman Jiang Chaoliang said in a speech in January.

Dow Jones & Company Inc.

Singapore banks fix China in their sights but caution guides strategies

- The city state's Big Three lenders have pinned their hopes on earning up to 50 per cent of their revenues offshore. Until DBS's bold move into Hong Kong in 2001, that meant a mainly neighbourhood focus on Southeast Asia. Finally, the mainland is on the agenda, writes Louis Beckerling

1501 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

Geography, rather than the tug of ancestral Chinese genes, has so far shaped the regional expansion drive by Singapore's banking mandarins.

"Being part of Southeast Asia, we had a better understanding of the opportunities and the environment in Malaysia, Thailand and, of course, Indonesia," explains Francis Lee, a senior executive vice-president of United Overseas Bank (UOB) in an interview in Singapore.

SCMP.com Limited

Housing alarm bells to keep ringing

But mainland think-tank says overall investment to fall as banks tighten lending to curb price spiral

property Elaine Chan

480 words

7 April 2005

South China Morning Post

China's property market is expected to remain overheated this year as the central government struggles with reforms to ensure a better distribution of resources and sustainable growth, a state-backed think-tank has predicted.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) expects investment in the real-estate sector to continue to account for at least 20 per cent of total fixed-asset investments this year, the same as last year, as there is a genuine demand for housing from the mass market.

SCMP.com Limited

Shinsegae's Push Into China May Take a While to Pay Off

By Seah Park

881 words

7 April 2005

The Asian Wall Street Journal

Seoul -- SOUTH KOREAN retailer Shinsegae plans a rapid expansion into China, seeking to cash in on the world's fastest-growing consumer economy. But analysts caution that it may be a while before the move pays off for investors.

Shinsegae, which operates eponymous department stores and discount emporia known as E-Marts, plans to open 25 discount stores in China by 2009, largely in cooperation with Chinese joint-venture partners. Last month, Shanghai E-Mart Supercenter, in which Shinsegae owns a 49% stake, opened its third E-Mart outlet.

Dow Jones & Company Inc.

Chinese Companies Step Up Focus on Patent Protection

By Alex Ortolani

883 words

7 April 2005

The Asian Wall Street Journal