Business Asia articles from July 2003

Business Asia archives from July 2003

Bank of Japan: "trashcan" or Central Bank? (Frontline).
July 1, 2003... The Bank of Japan is the Rodney Dangerfield of central banks. It too, like the US comedian quips about himself, gets "no respect". The proof comes in the form of a suggestion from a gadfly named Shizuka Kamei, who happens to be a senior...

Malaysian business confidence on the rise after SARS outbreak. (Update).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Asia is officially in SARS recovery mode, illustrated by a recent business confidence survey carried out in Malaysia. The monthly survey, conducted by the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, showed that Western Digital, Intel and other US...

Word of mouth. (Update).(quotations from Thai prime minister, National Australia Bank market strategist, Vietnam national commitee for physical education and sports department director of legistation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... "I want to increase the country's gross domestic product before I retire from politics. My policies have proved that growth is broad-based in every sector." Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who predicts the country's ODP will...

Growth spurt. (Asia Fact File).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... This month's Fact File takes a look at population growth rates of countries in the Asia Pacific region. Singapore appears to be leading the charge here, while South Korea, Thailand and China all report relatively lower rates of growth. ...

Hong Kong workers may lose more than 20,000 manufacturing jobs in southern China in the next five years, according to a Hong Kong survey. (Hong Kong).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Hong Kong workers may lose more than 20,000 manufacturing jobs in southern China in the next five years, according to a Hong Kong survey. About three-quarters of 481 Hong Kong manufacturers with factories in the Pearl River Delta region will...

Japan's 12 automakers cut domestic production and exports in May, as companies such as Toyota Motor built more cars nearer their overseas markets such as the US and Asia outside Japan. (Japan).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Japan's 12 automakers cut domestic production and exports in May, as companies such as Toyota Motor built more cars nearer their overseas markets such as the US and Asia outside Japan. The companies made 786,343 vehicles in the country in May,...

The Philippines plans to cut the number of Government workers by about one per cent, starting this year, to reduce costs and help narrow the Budget deficit, says Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin. (Philippines).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The Philippines plans to cut the number of Government workers by about one per cent, starting this year, to reduce costs and help narrow the Budget deficit, says Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin. Voluntary retirement packages will be offered to...

A panel set up to suggest changes in Singapore's social, cultural and political policies urged the Government to allow residents the use of retirement funds to tide over spells of unemployment. (Singapore).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... A panel set up to suggest changes in Singapore's social, cultural and political policies urged the Government to allow residents the use of retirement funds to tide over spells of unemployment. Singapore allows the use of Central Provident Fund...

Taiwan's jobless rate was unchanged in May, with additional jobs created by the Government helping to provide employment for workers fired as a result of the SARS epidemic, which curbed spending around Asia. (Taiwan).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Taiwan's jobless rate was unchanged in May, with additional jobs created by the Government helping to provide employment for workers fired as a result of the SARS epidemic, which curbed spending around Asia. The rate was unchanged at 5.2 per...

Proposed foreign direct investments in Thailand rose 55 per cent in the first five months of the year to 122 billion baht ($4.4 billion), led by Japanese automakers that want to expand production in South-East Asia's second biggest economy. (Thailand).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Proposed foreign direct investments in Thailand rose 55 per cent in the first five months of the year to 122 billion baht ($4.4 billion), led by Japanese automakers that want to expand production in South-East Asia's second biggest economy....

Asia's ally? How pro-Asia is US President George W Bush?(in light of global war on terror, war in Iraq)(Cover Story)
July 1, 2003... Few would deny that US President George W Bush's time in office has been marked by great change. The events of September 11, followed by the Bush administration's strong reaction and the launch of the "global war on terror", has seen sizeable...

Hotels expand as industry recovers. (Business Travel).(Ritz Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C.)
July 1, 2003... Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co is expanding to Beijing and Tokyo under a plan to almost double the number of hotels it manages in Asia. The luxury chain owned by Marriott International, the largest US hotel company, will sign a contract before the...

Singapore to revise tourism figures. (Business Travel).
July 1, 2003... Singapore, which suffered its worst tourism slump following the outbreak of SARS and the Iraq war, said it would review its target of doubling tourists and the amount they spend over the next decade. The target was set after a...

Vietnam ideal for "leaf of faith". (Country Focus).
July 1, 2003... Australian exporters should take a leap of faith and invest their time and resources in Vietnam now before the country's economy truly takes off, Austrade senior trade commissioner for Vietnam Tim Gauci says. Vietnam has been one of the...

Council needs continuity: ABAC chair Roengpithya. (APEC Focus).(APEC Business Advisory Council)
July 1, 2003... Fostering an "ABAC spirit" is one of the key goals for 2003 APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) chair Dr Viphandh Roengpithya. In an exclusive interview in Sydney with Business Asia Magazine, Roengpithya said ABAC and APEC's work would...

New plans to combat future outbreaks. (APEC Focus).(of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or other diseases)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said that nations in the Asia-Pacific region must be vigilant and prepare for possible outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) or other diseases. Almost a 10th of the 8456 people infected...

Business going virtual. (Virtual Conferencing).
July 1, 2003... Ever since the global economy began its downward slide, travelling to business meetings and events has been spotlighted as something of an extravagance. Enter the concept of virtual conferencing, or communicating from anywhere in the world...

Litigation is not the way to go in China. (Legal).
July 1, 2003... Australian enterprises which have disputes with their local business partners in China should resort to litigation only when all else has failed. Despite China's continuing reforms to its legal system and its keen interest in attracting foreign...

Global pick up needed to boost Australian manufacturing. (Manufacturing).
July 1, 2003... The last boom time for Australian manufacturing has faded into the distance as the industry undergoes a slow down, making it all too clear how Australia is dictated to by global conditions. The most recent Performance of Manufacturing index...

Sweet success for short bread exports. (Success Story).(product of Old Colonial Cookie Co. Pty. Ltd.)
July 1, 2003... Take an old Scottish family recipe, add some Australian butter, and what results is an export success story for a Victoria-based shortbread specialist. The Old Colonial Cookie Co Pty Ltd began exporting to Japan 10 years ago, and has since...