Other Briefings
China Vows to Increase Wages and Improve Employment
Op/Ed Commentary: Vivian Ni Feb. 10 – In its latest 12th Five-Year Plan on Employment Improvement (“Plan”), China says it will continue working on increasing wage levels and controlling unemployment rates. Under these new targets, enterprises operating in China may face the challenge of increasing operational costs. Minimum wage and social welfare According to the […]
Twitter – When Freedom of Speech Collides with Business Interests
By Vivian Ni Feb. 3 – Twitter, the U.S.-based micro-blogging service provider, has recently found itself at the receiving end of criticism due to its new policy that will allow content censorship on a country-by-country basis. The policy adjustment may have revealed Twitter’s interest in returning to the cash-flowing Chinese market, where the government implements […]
WTO Orders China to Remove Export Restrictions on Industrial Minerals
Will rare earths be next? By Vivian Ni Feb. 1 – Following two years of investigation, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Appellate Body ruled on Monday that China’s use of export duties and quotas on nine types of industrial materials has breached free trade rules. The ruling could affect the organization’s judging of other similar […]
American Express Extends Reach to China’s e-Payment Market
By Vivian Ni Jan. 30 – Although China has made it more difficult for foreign investors to enter its e-payment sector over the last year, the potential profits offered by the country’s massive consumer population are proving too attractive to miss. Recently, American Express – the U.S. financial service provider that has long considered China […]
China Sets New Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Goals
In its newest “12th Five-year Plan on Greenhouse Emission Control (guofa [2011] No.41),” China has set its new goals of reducing carbon emissions in the next five years and called for pilot programs that aim to promote low-carbon economy.
Apple Loses iPad Trademark Case in China
By Vivian Ni Dec. 13 – Apple has recently hit a roadblock in its key growth market China, as a local Chinese court rejected the company’s ownership claim of its iPad trademark. The giant California-based technology company may therefore be forced to either change the name of its tablet computer products in China, or pay […]
State Council Restrictions Could Hurt China’s Exchanges
By Vivian Ni Dec. 2 – The future outlook of China’s more than 300 commodities and cultural exchanges has been clouded, as the State Council recently vowed to tighten regulations on all of them. Despite seeing strong business growth, many of the exchanges now face being cleared out of the market if they fail to […]
Foreign Investors Should Be Aware of Labor Strike Tactics in China
By Vivian Ni Nov. 29 – Increasing labor costs have become a major concern for foreign companies mulling whether or not to invest in China, but this may not be the only labor-related issue they should be watching out for. As the recent global economic downturn brings about falling factory orders, an abundance of young, […]
