Business Asia articles from December 1998

Business Asia archives from December 1998

Ramos renounces `neo-colonial' path.
December 14, 1998... Western economies must cooperate with Asia and avoid the temptation to treat developing countries as "neocolonies" if the region is to recover from its current financial crisis, according to former Philippines president Fidel Ramos. Mr...

Big spending, fast growth in China.
December 14, 1998... Infrastructure spending has played such a significant role in the Chinese economy this year that it has been credited with maintaining levels of growth at around 8 per cent. Commonwealth Financial Services strategist Mr Robert Hogg said...

ASIA FACT FILE.(Statistical Data Included)
December 14, 1998... Blood brothers This edition's Fact File examines the ethnic make-up of nations in the Asia-Pacific region. AUSTRALIA Caucasian 95% Asian 4% Aboriginal & other 1%...

Huge Asia deals in pipeline.(Statistical Data Included)
December 14, 1998... Australian opportunities to tap into huge Asian private infrastructure projects should start to increase late next year as the regional financial crisis eases, according to a new report by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). ...

IT demand gears for a comeback.
December 14, 1998... Singapore -- The Asia-Pacific region is likely to stage a comeback in demand for information technology (IT) products in 1999, analysts at research firm Gartner Group's Dataquest say. Dataquest forecast that personal computer end user...

Food sales up, but region down.(food exports from Australia)
December 14, 1998... Australian food export figures released by Supermarket to Asia (STA) for the first quarter of 1998-99 show that total Australian food exports to the world grew by 10.5 per cent. However, exports of food to Asia decreased by 2.8 per cent --...

A year on, no masking pain of Korea's jobless.
December 14, 1998... Seoul -- South Korean charities have been handing out clothes and food to the jobless as the country marks the first anniversary of its humbling bail-out with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Scores of sad looking men gathered at the...

All that glitters ...
December 14, 1998... 10 Largest Gold Consumer Markets in 1997 [GRAPH OMITTED]

IN BRIEF.
December 14, 1998... * Sydney -- Building group James Hardie has continued its fibre cement expansion policy with the opening of a US$31.65 million plan in the Philippines. James Hardie said the new plant would enable the company to capitalise on the growing market...

Japan may spark global recession.
December 14, 1998... Japanese banks crucial to growth The world faces a "substantial risk" of falling into recession in the new year if Japan's recovery program fails, the World Bank claims in its annual economic outlook. Although it is "most likely" the...

People skills profitable in China.
December 14, 1998... People-intensive industries such as tourism and education are the key to Australia's export growth in China, according to law firm Allen Allen & Hemsley. In a recent address at Peking University, Allens partner and vice president of the...

Shoppers still in wary mood.(Japan)
December 14, 1998... Tokyo -- Policy-makers, business leaders and even the President of the United States have tried to loosen Japanese consumers' purse strings, but experts say shoppers will remain cautious during the key year-end season. "Consumption is weak...

Firms put screws on business.(business travel)
December 14, 1998... Many businesses around the world have clamped down on travel expenditure in the past year as a result of economic problems, according to a new survey. Nearly 90 per cent of frequent travellers polled say they are now bound by some form of...

Travel costs likely to soar in '99.
December 14, 1998... A new study indicates business travellers will pay the price next year for Asia's economic ills. LISA PANOZZO reports Regional business travellers can expect expenses to soar next year as slower economic growth, takes it toll on travel...

Sydney, HK top survey of host cities in Asia.(Statistical Data Included)
December 14, 1998... A study has named Sydney and Hong Kong as the top international meeting host cities in the Asia-Pacific region. The American Express 1998 Business Travel Trends and Forecasts report for the Asia-Pacific region lists Sydney as the number one...

Novel offer for flyers.
December 14, 1998... A frequent-flyer program that rewards customers not just with air travel, but also holidays and sky-diving, has been launched by Malaysia Airlines. The program, called Enrich, will reward members travelling in First, Business and Economy...

Location must be spot on.(hotels)
December 14, 1998... A hotel's location is becoming increasingly crucial to staying competitive in a market affected by reduced intra-Asian travel and room oversupply, according to global hotel chain, Accor. The group general manager of sales and marketing for...

Airlines fighting to stay afloat.
December 14, 1998... The resuscitation of Asia's oldest carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), after a brief closure has drawn most of the industry's recent headlines -- but other carriers are by no means in the clear. Despite a reprieve, PAL -- overwhelmed by...

$300m upgrade.(Singapore Airlines)
December 14, 1998... Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced its largest product launch to date, with new products and services to be introduced on its Megatop 747 aircraft. The airline said a product upgrade would cost more than S$500 million (US$300 million)...

Island getaway targets corporates.
December 14, 1998... Business travellers wanting to escape the rigours of work have a new option on a tiny west coast Malaysian island that is being touted as the "Carribbean of the East". The Malaysian Government's recent approval to grant one-year visas on...

Food firms get taste for the web.(includes other items)
December 14, 1998... * Sydney -- More than 400 Australian food companies are set to reap the rewards of an Internet export initiative developed by the food industry, Supermarket to Asia Council and Telstra. FoodConnect Australia has been designed to connect...

Report urges jobless cover across Asia.
December 14, 1998... The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says high jobless rates will persist in economically distressed Asian countries and has urged governments to set up unemployment insurance. The United Nations agency said in a report, titled "The...

Japanese eye new ventures.
December 14, 1998... Japanese manufacturers are making fresh investments in Australia despite tough economic conditions in Japan, according to a senior official at JETRO Sydney. Mr Hiroshi Nakano, the managing director of the Japan External Trade Organisation...

Anwar's calculated dismissal.(Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia)
December 14, 1998... Western critics have roundly condemned Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed's decision to oust his deputy Anwar Ibrahim and impose capital controls. GANESH SAHATHEVAN(*) begs to differ The recent dismissal of Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim...

Stock rally may hinder reform.
December 14, 1998... The good news is that Asia's stock markets are rallying. The bad news is that some nations believe they can go back to their old ways Troubled Asian economies must resist the temptation to use Asia's stocks rally as an excuse to delay...