Business Asia articles from June 2003

Business Asia archives from June 2003

Asian governments need crises spokespeople.
June 1, 2003... One thing is obvious from the recent spate of world crises, and that is the importance of calmed reasoned voices being heard above the hyperbole. Clearly many of these events are deeply traumatic to society, and it is the media's role to...

Airline rivalries still flying. (Update).(also includes other articles about Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam)
June 1, 2003... Although airlines throughout Asia are reporting dramatic reductions in customers due to the SARS outbreak, long-standing rivalries between airlines are still very much alive. Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd, the city's smaller carrier, recently...

Baby boom. (Asia Fact File).(Pacific Asian countries fertility rates)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 1, 2003... Baby Boom This month, we take a look at the fertility rates of key countries in Asia. COUNTRY CHILDREN BORN PER WOMAN, (2002 EST) Australia 1.77 China 1.82 Hong Kong...

Word of mouth. (Update).(quotations)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... "A single currency is not for Asia for a long time to come. Asian countries are neither at the same stage of development, nor do they have the same culture and values." Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad commenting on the...

Great leap forward is Australia leaving Asia behind? Australia's stronger relations with the US, coupled with a major free trade deal being negotiated between the two countries, have critics asking whether Australia is turning its back on Asia. But is the "miracle economy" really leaping away?(Cover Story)
June 1, 2003... In a world dogged by economic downturn, deflation and catastrophic events, Australia stands out as an oasis. Hailed by economists and observers around the world as being a "miracle economy", Australia has recorded growth rates over the...

Singapore/Australia FTA: a closer look.(free trade agreement)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2003... As trade barriers crumble and market liberalisation takes shape in the region, Australia stands at the forefront to grasp the opportunities created by a natural evolution of the new economy. Singapore and Australia have entered an historic...

Hotels start to bounce back. (Business Travel).(from severe acute respiratory syndrome and war in Iraq)
June 1, 2003... Hoteliers, airlines and tour operators have suffered this year as slowing economies, the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome and the war in Iraq deterred people from travelling. These factors extended a sales drought started by the...

Travel almost back to pre-SARS levels. (Business Travel).(severe acute respiratory syndrome)
June 1, 2003... Abacus International, Asia's largest travel and airline ticket reservation company, said travel demand in the region should return to pre-SARS levels by July as the virus is contained and cheaper tickets attract travellers. Bookings in...

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur. (Advertorial).(Malaysian hotel)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2003... Experience the legendary style and service of the award-winning five-star luxury hotel Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, a luxurious urban resort for discerning business and leisure travelers. Distinctively positioned adjacent to the world's...

Mandarin Oriental Jakarta. (Advertorial).(Indonesia hotel )(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2003... A road warrior's dream and winner of the Bloomberg TV "Best Business Hotel in Indonesia award 2001-2002". This top-notch hotel combines Jakarta's most central location with superb facilities, newly renovated rooms, reliable business services...

Australia: the right mix for investors? With over a decade of economic growth behind it, and forecasts of solid growth into the future--is the Australian story really as good as it looks? (Special Advertising Feature).(Advertisement)
June 1, 2003... The Australian economy has been variously described as 'miracle', 'remarkable' and 'the envy of the OECD.' But while its performance may well have been miraculous, the cause has more to do with hard work and sound economic management,...

The education equation: what Australia needs to do to grow its education exports. (Education).(IDP Education Australia report summary)
June 1, 2003... Australia's international education sector could have close to one million students by 2025, but needs to overcome several hurdles in order to live up to its potential. Latest research by IDP Education Australia, an education and...

SARS dominates discussion at ABAC meeting. (APEC Focus).(Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council)
June 1, 2003... Lessons learned from the SARS crisis was the major issue on the agenda at the last APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting held in Tokyo recently, resulting in the pressing point that the disease cannot be used as an excuse for...

Using the 3Rs to deal with crisis: in the first of a series of articles written by various ABAC members, the USA's Robert Prieto discusses how APEC economies can best deal with massive "unknowns" that can disrupt business. (APEC Focus).(resist, respond, recover)
June 1, 2003... September 11th, 2001 was part of a long series of unexpected events whose shock had global social and economic consequences. As the current challenge of SARS has shown, this series of unexpected events continues unabated. Each event, while...

EFIC will "evolve" finance product range. (Financial Services).(Australian Export Finance and Insurance Corporation)
June 1, 2003... Australia's Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC) will strive to evolve their product offerings as their customers' situations change and competition from foreign agencies increase, EFIC general manager for export and project finance...

Risk, size factors in export finance. (Financial Services).
June 1, 2003... Risk appetite, bargaining power with the buyer and size of the company are the key factors new exporters should keep in mind when considering export finance products, HSBC Australia head of corporate banking Tim Slater and manager of trade...

Cargo rises despite SARS. (Freight Forwarding).(despite severe acute respiratory syndrome Dragonair reports cargo increase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Stories of airlines having to drastically reduce flights due to the effects of war, terrorism and SARS have been hitting the headlines for some time now, but there is a bright side to the tale. While passenger numbers have fallen away, the...

TNT's new deal for China. (Freight Forwarding).(TNT Express global courier)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... One of the first global courier firms to set up shop in China is entering a new phase of its business development in the mainland. TNT Express recently announced the end of a 15-year joint venture with transport company Sinotrans, citing...

FreightLink to launch in Q1 2004. (Freight Forwarding).(FreightLink Proprietary Ltd. Alice-Darwin Rail Link operation)
June 1, 2003... Construction of the Alice-Darwin Rail Link is on track, with more than 80 per cent now complete. Operations are planned to begin early next year. The progress of the construction phase means the line is scheduled for hand over to the new...