Business Asia articles from May 2002

Business Asia archives from May 2002

Boao shows long way to go yet for China. (Frontline).(Boao Forum for Asia illustrates that China is not completely stable economically)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... You have to feel sorry for the Chinese. Their grand vision to replicate the annual Davos gathering of world economic leaders on Hainan island was such a flop that organisers apologised to attendees. Instead of featuring substantive...

Starwood cuts staff as travel slumps. (Update).(Asian briefs)(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc may cut its Asian payroll as the world's largest hotel chain seeks to trim costs amid weaker demand for travel following the 11 September terrorist attacks. The White Plains, New York-based company has...

Asian economy watch. (Asia Fact File).(GDP rates, various countries)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Asian economy watch COUNTRY GDP (%) JOBLESS RATE (%) Australia 4.1 6.3 China 7.6 3.6 Hong Kong -1.1 7.0 India 6.3 na Indonesia ...

Word of mouth. (Update).
May 1, 2002... "We enjoy very good relations. We should aim at achieving the free-trade agreement mutually, and to that end, we should like to continue to expand the relationship." Japanese Prime Minister Junichoro Koizumi on a possible trade agreement...

Open economies vital: Howard: Business Asia speaks to Australian Prime Minister John Howard about the future for APEC. (APEC/ABAC - The Challenges Ahead)(Cover Story).(Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation)(Cover Story)(Interview)
May 1, 2002... Q: APEC ventured outside of its traditional economic focus last year in Shanghai as leaders sought to address the events of 11 September. Do you now expect the APEC vision to broaden to issues outside of trade and investment? Or should the...

Steering steady course for finance. (APEC/ABAC - The Challenges Ahead).(Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC Business Advisory Council)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The APEC Business Advisory Council's (ABAC) Finance Task Force is following a similar agenda to previous years, but with some new twists, says task force chair David Murray. Murray, who heads the Commonwealth Bank in Australia, leads the group...

Bridging the digital gap; Hyun says thre are substantial (technology) gaps within some economies themselves. (APEC/ABAC - The Challenges Ahead).(Jae Hyun Hyun, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC Business Advisory Council)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Bridging the "digital divide" within APEC member economies will require a sustained long-term effort, ABAC Technology Task Force chair Jae Hyun Hyun says. The "digital divide", the technology gap between developed and developing APEC...

Free trade momentum vital in 2002: Spring. (APEC/ABAC - The Challenges Ahead).(Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC Business Advisory Council)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The biggest issue facing ABAC's Business Facilitation Task force this year is pushing the process of trade liberalisation, says task force leader Sir Dryden Spring. "That's the biggest issue of all. We don't want to see the governments...

Bogor deadlines achievable. (APEC/ABAC - The Challenges Ahead).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Strong leadership will be needed if APEC is to meet its self-imposed Bogor free trade deadlines, ABAC Action Plan Monitoring Committee chair Ernest S Micek says. Micek, chairman retired of Cargill Inc, says the road towards free trade and...

SME group to highlight success. (APEC/ABAC - The Challenges Ahead).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... ABAC's Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) Task Force will identify small business success stories in 2002 as a way of showing APEC economies how to do things right by SMEs, task force chair Andrina Lever says. Lever says the focus for 2002...

Malaysia and Mahathir proving critics wrong; Malaysia was supposed to become the basket case of Asia after implementing capital controls in response to the 1997 crisis. In 2002, the country is far from being a no-hoper. (Eye On Malaysia).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Politicians love few things more than seeing their enemies proven wrong. It's a feeling with which Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is in touch these days as some former nemeses are giving him his due. Take financier George Soros,...

Asian lending turns to retail. (Finance).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... From a rush for car loans in Thailand to the birth of a market in mortgage-backed securities in China, banks across Asia are scrambling to boost profits and spread risk by joining the global trend to target retail borrowers. While South...

Economic doubts about World Cup. (World Cup).
May 1, 2002... With about a month to go before the kick-off of this year's soccer World Cup finals, FIFA says South Korea and Japan have their 20 stadiums ready and are focusing on logistical fine-tuning and fostering football fever. FIFA, world soccer's...

Snapshot of all APEC member economies.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... AUSTRALIA Area (sq km) 7.69 million Population (million) 19.4 GDP 4.1% Major exports: coal, iron ore, wheat, beef & veal, petroleum and other gases, cotton Head of Government: Prime Minister John Howard BRUNEI...

At the top: Australia's leading companies by market cap *.(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... AUSTRALIA Industry Group Market Cap (US$) Telstra Corp Telecommunications 34,993.94 News Corp Multimedia 32,928.18 National Australia Bank...

Technology, innovation key to Asia ties: Bracks: Victorian Premier Steve Bracks is keenly aware of the importance Asia plays in his State's trade health. In this Business Asia Exclusive, Premier Bracks discusses how he plans to foster Victoria's Asia links. (Victoria In Focus).(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Q: What are Victoria's key strengths in terms of trade at present? Certainly the automotive sector is a source of great pride for our Government, with recent major investments in automotive plant capacity that are mostly export focused....

Differences rise over port review. (Victoria In Focus).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The future governance of Victoria's ports is once again up for discussion with a Government-commissioned review of port reforms, but various stakeholders are not making the task easy. Melbourne Port Corporation (MPC) have put forward a...

Have your say in Hotel Awards. (Best Business Hotels In Asia Awards).
May 1, 2002... India Grand Hyatt New Delhi The Grand Hyatt New Delhi offers 390 rooms, and includes a shopping arcade with over 40 shops. Multi-lingual staff are on hand to assist with many services, including a tour and travel desk, 24-hour room and...

Double exporter numbers by 2006: Vaile. (Trade Focus).(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... The Federal Government has set itself an ambitious trade target, aiming to double the number of Australian exporters by 2006. Trade Minister Mark Vaile, in releasing the Government's 2002 Trade Outcomes and Objectives Statement (TOOS), said...

Investment expo attracts big names. (Asia Australia Investment Conference).
May 1, 2002... Some of the biggest names in financial services from Australia and Asia have agreed to speak at the inaugural Asia-Australia Investment Conference and Expo to be held in Sydney on May 16. Heading the impressive guest list is Australian...

Singapore exchange looks to India. (Asia Australia Investment Conference).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Officials from Singapore Exchange Ltd are on a mission to the city that houses Asia's oldest bourse, wooing companies listed on the Mumbai Stock Exchange. Faced with a slump in trading and rising delistings at home, Singapore Exchange...

New Hall of Fame unveiled. (Australian Export Awards).
May 1, 2002... Export superstars BRL Hardy, Clough Engineering and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) are the first three companies to be inducted into the Australian Export Awards Austrade-ACCI Hall of Fame. The new distinction has been established...

HR health checks vital. (Recruitment With Cliff Stoneman *).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The results from a recent survey investigating the attitudes and thoughts of Australian CEO's and their management teams should raise great concern from many chief executives in the Asian region. The study covered both the perceptions of...