Business Asia articles from July 2001

Business Asia archives from July 2001

IS ASIA HEADING FOR A CRISIS?(Asian economy)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... WHEN ASIA'S economies unexpectedly bounced back from the region's 1997-98 economic collapse, not everyone was sanguine about the good news. Critics pointed out that Asian governments, made complacent by the rebound, had begun shelving the...

Asian growth forecasts cut.(Asian countries business and industry)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... THE WORLD BANK said it would most likely lower its 2001 economic growth forecasts for Asian countries because of a sharper than expected slowdown in US and world growth. The bank, which plans to release its next official forecasts in September,...

ASIA FACT FILE.(international reserve statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... ASIA FACT FILE In Reserve In this month's fact file, we take a look at the international reserves(*) for Asian countries in 1999 compared to preliminary estimates for 2000. COUNTRY 1999 2000 ...

[WORD OF MOUTH].
July 1, 2001... "The Malays are now disunited, have rejected unity because many have become greedy." -- MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER MOHAMAD MAHATHIR AT A THREE-DAY MEETING OF THE UNITED MALAYS NASIONAL ORGANISATION, OR UMNO. "We're not in a position to...

WINNERS.(the LDP ruling party won the Japanese election)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's popularity with voters became obvious last month, with the LDP winning the Tokyo city election. The yen rose from a 10-week low after Japan's ruling party won the election, raising optimism the...

LOSERS.(Li Ka-shing is Asia's richest person and 18th in the world)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... In the battle of the Asian mega-tycoons, Softbank founder Masayoshi Son has taken a stumble, with Hong Kong's Li Ka-shing taking his place as Asia's richest person. Forbes magazine's annual list of the world's richest people found that Li,...

KEEP AN EYE ON.(CityCab plans launch of wireless interactive service for drivers and passengers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... Singaporeans may soon able to check their e-mails and surf the internet from the back of a taxi. CityCab, the island's second biggest taxi company, plans to launch what it says is the world's first wireless interactive service for drivers and...

go figure.
July 1, 2001... FOLLOWING ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OR STATISTICS RELATING TO ASIA-PACIFIC NATIONS 26 The number of years since an Indonesian President has visited Australia. 80 The number of years since the founding of the Chinese Communist...

HK looks to US, China for upturn.(future of Hong Kong depends on factors outside its control)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2001... Hong Kong, Asia's standout economy in 2000, has been in the doldrums all year. The Government is confident, however, that the worst is behind the Special Administrative Region. has Hong Kong finally turned the corner? NOT FOR THE FIRST...

HK opportunities thanks to A$ woes.(low value of Australian dollar turns Hong Kong businesses towards Australian products and services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES should take advantage of our currency woes to enter the highly competitive Hong Kong market, Austrade's senior trade commissioner in Hong Kong Christopher Rees says. Rees said the low value of the Australian dollar...

Asia leads in telco race.(SK Telecom, NTT DoCoMo)(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... FORGET WESTERN Europe -- Asia is at the forefront when it comes to the wireless telecoms future, with the region both leading the way technologically and in terms of sheer growth opportunities. Japan and Korea lead the world in the latest...

Awards race heating up.(Best Business Hotels in Asia Awards)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2001... The Best Business Hotels in Asia Awards race are gaining momentum, with only a few months to go until voting closes. In this edition, we profile the finalists from Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. SINGAPORE Conrad International...

RAFFLES TO EXPAND.(Raffles Holdings Ltd.)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2001... RAFFLES HOLDINGS, OWNER of the 114 year-old colonial-style Raffles Hotel in Singapore, plans to double the rooms it manages and owns to 25,000 by 2005 as part of a new blueprint to become one of the world's top luxury hotel brands. ...

CORRECTION.(June 2001, The George)(Correction Notice)
July 1, 2001... In the June 2001 edition of Business Asia, The George, New Zealand, was incorrectly referred to be located in Auckland. The George is located in Christchurch.

Biotech tops QLD's export goals.(Queensland, Australia, makes exports top priority)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... Queensland is steadily rising up the ranks as one of Australia's leading export states. NADIA CAMERON spoke to Premier Peter Beattie about the State's trade push. QUEENSLAND PREMIER Peter Beattie is confident his state is on the right...

Port planning for expansion.(Port of Brisbane to receive $87.5 million)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... PORT OF BRISBANE CEO Graham Mulligan says the State Government's decision to provide $3.39 billion towards transport and main road infrastructure and dedicating a record $242.3 million to ports capital spending is a good indication of its...

Focus on customers vital.(air cargo service)
July 1, 2001... Customer service is one of the key components in any successful business. But are cargo carriers taking the time to provide their clients with the right level of treatment? CARRIERS MAY BE GOOD at promising higher levels of customer...

AIR NZ CALLS FOR JOINT CARGO HAULS.(Air New Zealand Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... Air New Zealand has proposed rationalisation of domestic freight services run by its Ansett Australia subsidiary and Qantas Airways. Gary Toomey, chief executive of Air New Zealand, says Australia's domestic freight market is still in need...

THE GREAT RAILWAY REVIVAL.(in China, Australia)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... AT THE START OF THE 21st Century, two huge railway projects are about to unfold -- the great railway to Lhasa Tibet, ultimately from Beijing, and the Alice Springs/Darwin Railway project -- ultimate connection Melbourne to Darwin. After...

Top exporters gather.
July 1, 2001... SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S EXPORT success stories were the focal topic at the Top Exporters Dinner in Adelaide last month. Speaking at the first of two Top Exporters dinners to take place this year, the night's guest of honour, Foreign Minister...

HP EXPORTING TECHNOLOGY TO THE WORLD.(Hewlett-Packard is a leading technology player in Australia)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2001... HEWLETT-PACKARD Australia is a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services, and local exporter of innovative technologies. In addition to serving the domestic market, HP has established in Australia the regional...

IDP TO HOST EDUCATION CONFERENCE.
July 1, 2001... FROM 25-28 SEPTEMBER this year, IDP Education Australia will host more than 800 delegates at the 15th Australian International Education Conference, in Sydney. The conference is the key forum in Australia for Australian and international...

Cheap burgers, not shares.(McDonald's Corp. to sell shares in Japan)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... YOSHIO INAMURA STILL remembers when he was a 17-year-old standing in line at Japan's Ginza shopping district to try a hamburger for the first time. Three decades on, the fund manager at Tokyo-Mitsubishi Asset Management says the thrill has...

FINDING STAFF THE ON-LINE WAY.(tips for employee recruitment)(Brief Article)(Column)
July 1, 2001... CLIFF STONEMAN(*) looks at how companies can use the internet to fill their recruitment needs. THE INTERNET HAS NOT lived up to the lofty expectations most of us had regarding the massive affect it would have on business. However, this is...

SHARES KEEP STAFF BETTER.(managing directors offer options and benefits to retain staff)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2001... AUSTRALIAN TECHNOLOGY companies are increasingly offering employees shares or options to attract and retain skilled staff, according to a recent survey by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. The Deloitte Technology Industry Review survey, which was...