Swiss-China free trade deal debuts
A watershed free-trade deal between China and Switzerland has come into force, the first such accord between the Asian giant and a mainland European economy.Senior Swiss and Chinese officials were...
View ArticleJapan expands scope for military action
Japan has loosened restrictions on its powerful military, allowing it to go into battle in defence of allies, in a major and highly controversial shift for the nation's pacifist stance.Prime Minister...
View ArticleTens of thousands at Hong Kong democracy rally
Clutching banners and chanting slogans, tens of thousands of protesters have begun a pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong that organisers say could be the largest since the city was handed back to...
View ArticleWhat China can learn from Japan's financial crisis
Adapt or Die Knowledge HubFinancial ServicesEiji OkuyamaEast Asia ForumSince the onset of the global financial crisis that originated in the subprime meltdown in the United States, ‘shadow banking’ has...
View ArticleChina to give banks more yuan freedom
China's central bank said it would allow banks to freely decide the yuan's exchange rate to the US dollar when dealing with retail customers, a small step in making the Chinese unit a more...
View ArticlePush for $1bn takeover threshold
Labor will green light a $1 billion threshold for Chinese investment in non-sensitive sectors without requiring regulatory approval, and is inclined to support extending the same terms to all countries...
View ArticleCopper ekes out 16-week high
Copper prices have climbed to a 16-week high on the London Metal Exchange (LME) as manufacturing expands at the fastest pace in 2014 in China, the world's largest user of the metal used in pipes and...
View ArticleA star fund manager's guide to China
EconomyChinaPeter CaiAnthony Bolton is a legend among fund managers and investors. He managed the Fidelity Special Situation Fund for 28 years to 2007, and during that time he achieved annual returns...
View ArticleAust hails Japan's military policy shift
Australia has hailed the unleashing of Japan's military might to potentially go into battle in defence of allies.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the loosening of restrictions this week in what is a...
View ArticleChina's Communist Party ousts more officials
China's Communist Party ousted more officials from its ranks who are suspected of corruption and appear to have ties to former political heavyweight Zhou Yongkang.A former secretary to Mr. Zhou named...
View ArticleChina services sector growth slips in June
Official data sows that activity in China's non-manufacturing sector grew at a slightly slower rate in June than in the previous month, however a private HSBC survey paints a contrasting picture.A...
View ArticleWhy Brand China is poised for global dominance
EconomyChinaFergus RyanForeign brands have long dominated the consumer market in China. From cars to sneakers, foreign imports have traditionally been seen as of better quality and have served as a...
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China, South Korea press Pyeongyang on nuclear program
China and South Korea have issued a joint call for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula at a summit in Seoul that was seen as a pointed snub of nuclear-armed North Korea by Beijing.In a joint...
View ArticleAnthony Bolton's big bet on Chinese reform
EconomyChinaPeter CaiAnthony Bolton, one of the most famous British investment managers, has earned his stripes as a master picker of technology stocks. During his 28-year tenure at the Fidelity...
View ArticleIron ore price rallies above $US96
The iron ore price has pushed back above $US96 a tonne and hit its highest point in more than a month on the back of upbeat manufacturing data out of China this week.Benchmark iron ore for immediate...
View ArticleChina's Xi Jinping holds talks in South Korea
It was Xi Jinping's first trip as head of state to the perennially volatile Korean peninsula, and his second summit with Park, who visited China last year.North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is still...
View ArticleChina bans Ramadan fast in Muslim region
Students and civil servants in China's Muslim northwest, where Beijing is enforcing a security crackdown following deadly unrest, have been ordered to avoid taking part in traditional fasting during...
View ArticleNew swathe of online services disrupted in China
Access to online services such as messaging app Line and photo-sharing site Flickr was disrupted in China this week, a step that anti-censorship groups said was carried out by the government to block...
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The Week Ahead
EconomyAustralian NewsCraig JamesEmployment in focusThere is something of interest for investors on each day in the coming week. There are no standout highlights, but the June employment figures due...
View ArticleGE taps China CEO to lead Alstom merger
General Electric on Thursday said the head of its China business will transfer to France to lead the US company's proposed buyout of Alstom's energy businesses.Mark Hutchinson, president and chief...
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