Business Asia articles from June 2000

Business Asia archives from June 2000

Strange bedfellows.(news briefs from Asia)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... IN A RARITY for Malaysian politics, Opposition Party head Lim Kit Siang and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad have agreed on something. Lim, the national chairman of the Democratic Action Party, says he concurs with some statements Mahathir made...

ASIA FACT FILE.(illiteracy rates)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2000... Taking point In this month's Fact File, we look at the illiteracy rates of adults (people age 15 and over) in Asia-Pacific countries. AUSTRALIA Male na Female na CHINA Male 9% Female ...

[WORD OF MOUTH].(asian politicians speak)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... "You... have a policy that was formulated by (Paul) Keating and then you change (it) because you now feel that Indonesia is weak and you can impose your will I mean, if you have a policy you should stick to that policy and not change it simply...

go figure.(statistics from Asian countries)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2000... FOLLOWING ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OR STATICTICS RELATING TO ASIA-PACIFIC NATIONS 6 The percentage of females in the agricultural labour force in Japan. It's 13 per cent in South Korea, and 79 per cent in Cambodia. 83 The...

STOP PRESS.(news briefs from Asia)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... * WINNERS Microsoft, Cisco and five other Nasdaq stock market-traded US companies surged on May 31 even as they saw few sellers and buyers in their debut on Asia's second-biggest stock exchange. Of the seven US companies that began trading...

Asia's `bully' hits back.(the squabble between John Howard and Mahathir Mohamad)(Interview)
June 1, 2000... Australian Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD has been dubbed an Asia "bully" by his nostril-flaring Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad. In an exclusive interview with Business Asia, Howard has his say on matters Asia MALAYSIAN PRIME Minister...

A QUESTION OF LEADERSHIP.(Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 1, 2000... Philippines Vice-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo answers questions -- finally -- about problems in her country and how she hopes to fix them NO LEADERSHIP, no direction, but lots of corruption. For months, these comments had been...

Bracks to the future.(Steve Bracks Premier of Victoria)
June 1, 2000... He won the unwinnable election. Now, Victorian Premier Steve Bracks wants to prove hi;s credentials as a friend of business -- starting with Asia, He speaks to CAMERON COOPER STEVE BRACKS looks at ease lounging back in a seat that -- until...

Port just keeps on expanding.(Port of Melbourne)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... THE VICTORIAN Government wants to attract a third stevedore to enhance the Melbourne Port Corporation's reputation as one of the finest ports in the world. Premier Steve Bracks said the Melbourne facility was the best deepwater port in the...

VIETNAM COUP FOR RMIT.(University to open location in Vietnam)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... RMIT UNIVERSITY will establish the first foreign-owned private university in Vietnam after being granted an investment licence by the Vietnamese Government. To be based near the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, RMIT International University...

GROWING GREAT GUNS.(food exports among Asian countries)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2000... THE VALUE of food exports from Victoria has risen from around A$2.2 billion in 1990 to an all-time high of more than A$4.3 billion in 1999. This firmly cements Victoria as Australia's premier food exporting state, accounting for almost 24...

IN BRIEF.(news briefs from Asia)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... JAPAN'S TOYOTA Motor will launch the Avalon luxury sedan in Australia on July 1, a move to challenge the dominance of General Motors and Ford Motor in the Australian market's luxury segment. Toyota Motor Australia Ltd, a subsidiary of the...

A taste of things to come.(the increase in soft drink consumption in Asia)
June 1, 2000... Wealthier populations and the advent of Western-style fast-food chains has seen the consumption of softdrinks rise across Asia WALK AROUND the streets of India and it's not hard to find billboards of cricket star Sachin Tendulkar flogging...

A top year for Southcorp.(wine maker wins award)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... RAPID GROWTH in the consumption of wine in Asia has helped Southcorp Wines -- the producer of some of the world's finest drops -- capture a major award at this year's Business Asia News Magazine Awards. Southcorp pipped fellow Australian...

Get your image right in China.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... China's media is mushrooming, creating enormous opportunities for marketing-savvy businesses. But many companies don't know how to harness the power of the media. THOMAS MURRELL shares 12 success tips NO ONE REALLY knows how many television...

WTO LINK TO PUT HEAT ON TOKYO.(China to join World Trade Organization)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... By boosting trade and investment with the rest of Asia, China's accession to the World Trade Organisation will mark another step towards its emergence as an economic force that may one day rival Japan in the region. But analysts say that...

Singaporean hotels top revenue growth.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2000... SINGAPORE'S HOTEL industry outstripped the rest of the Asia-Pacific region in revenue growth per room in the first quarter, an industry survey shows. An Arthur Andersen Hotel Industry Benchmark Survey indicated revenue per room in...

A CUT ABOVE THE REST.(the best hotels in New Zealand and the Philippines)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... In this edition, we profile finalists from New Zealand and the Philippines in the Best Business Hotels in Asia Awards NEW ZEALAND Parkroyal Wellington Located in the New Zealand capital's CBD, the Parkroyal Wellington is close to...

LIFE'S NOT ALL PLANE SAILING.(the world's best and worst airports)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Our special guest writer TAURUS(*) has seen a lot of airports -- and doesn't like what he sees FROM DACCA to Lima, Dalian to London, over the next few decades airports throughout Asia and the world will become more and more important as...

WAITING FOR ASIA TO CHANGE GEARS.(the Asian economy)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2000... Asian economies may be on the rebound, but RICHARD MARTIN says poor domestic demand remains a worry THE DRAMATIC surge in first-quarter growth in parts of Asia raises as many questions as it provides answers to those looking for signs of a...

BRAIN DRAIN CAN SINK A BUSINESS.(Australians leave for work in Asia)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... CLIFF STONEMAN(*) says businesses will pay a heavy price if they don't look after talented employees who want to combine work and travel REMEMBER THE catchphrase "Go west, young man?" Well, now it's increasingly becoming "Go east, young...

THE JET SET.(news briefs from Asia)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... CAN'T BEAT jet lag? Well, some researchers believe a dose of daylight can be the best solution. According to a recent report on the biztravel.com website, studies into jet lag suggest that the key to resetting the internal clock is to get...

Going against the grain.(wheat imports in Indonesia)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2000... INDONESIA'S BIG wheat importer Bogasari flour mills is projecting a sharp recovery in national wheat imports in 2000, despite a challenging flood of cheap imported flour. Bogasari and Indonesia's other small wheat millers are fighting what...

OPENING THE DOOR TO CHINA.(benefits to Australia companies)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... Joining the WTO will force open China's trade doors. KEVIN HOPGOOD-BROWN(*) pinpoints some benefits for Australian companies AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES have been waiting with anticipation for China to finalise its arrangements to enter the World...

NEW BOOK, SAME OLD STORY.(new book by Paul Keating)(Brief Article)(Review)
June 1, 2000... THERE'S ONE certainty about Paul Keating's new book, "Engagement: Australia Faces the Asia-Pacific": it won't alter perceptions of the former Australian Prime Minister. Keating polarised public opinion like few other politicians in...

VIVE LE IT REVOLUTION.(the telecommunications industry in Asia)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... So you think the communications industry is moving quickly. MIKE BUTCHER(*) reckons the pace is about to slip up a gear THE CHANGES taking place in the communications industry are truly revolutionary -- and Asia is at the heart of much of...

WEBSITES WORTH WATCHING.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... ASIA RECOVERY INFORMATION CENTRE www.aric.adb.org This site is run by the Asian Development Bank and tracks the progress of five countries: Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. You can download daily market...

THE NEWS IN PICTURES ACROSS ASIA.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2000... JAPAN'S PRIME Minister, his popularity in tatters, leads his ruling party to a stunning election defeat and sets the stage for a new reformist coalition. That drastic scenario, however, played out seven years ago. Despite some striking...

ASIA TOP COMPANIES BY SALES.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2000... SALES US$ MILLION (TRAILING 12 MONTHS) SALES GROWTH AUSTRALIA AMP Limited $16,268.45 9.71% Coles Myer Ltd $12,760.49 ...

THE INTERNET: LOTTERY OR LEMON?
June 1, 2000... The boom and bust nature of the internet is unique. Right? Wrong! Professor PETER SHELDRAKE(*) tells us why IMAGINE THE scene. There are hundreds of start-up companies vying for new business, perhaps a thousand of them. At this stage...