AsiaPulse News articles from March 2002

AsiaPulse News archives from March 2002

FOREX - US DOLLAR CHEAPER AGAINST RUPEE- MAR 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... FOREX - US DOLLAR CHEAPER AGAINST RUPEE- MAR 1, 2002 $all $in $stx pticloser MUMBAI, Mar 1 Asia Pulse - The US Dollar ended cheaper against the Rupee at Rs 48.71/73 per dollar but the Pound Sterling turned dearer at Rs 69.19/21 per pound at the...

STOCKS- BSE CLOSES UP - MAR 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... STOCKS- BSE CLOSES UP - MAR 1, 2002 $all $in $stx pticloser MUMBAI, Mar 1 Asia Pulse - After an overnight slump following a +disappointing budget+, stocks bounced back with a vengeance in roller-coaster ride lifting the sensex sharply by 3.27...

STOCKS - DSE CLOSES DOWN - MAR 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... STOCKS - DSE CLOSES DOWN - MAR 1, 2002 $all $in $stx pticloser NEW DELHI, Mar 1 Asia Pulse - Heavy-weighted old economy stocks led by Hindustan Lever staged a comeback on the stock market today on revival of buying by foreign and domestic...

OPEN - ASIA PULSE INTERNATIONAL - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... Good Morning. This is the Asia Pulse International service of business intelligence, news, tenders and expert commentary on the economies of Asia provided by Asia Pulse Pte Ltd (Asia Pulse). Asia Pulse reserves all rights including...

FOREX - AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR OPENS HIGHER - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... SYDNEY, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Australian dollar lifted to the open, floating higher on yesterday's stronger-than-expected capital expenditure data and heading toward the top of its range. At 0700 AEDT the Australian dollar was at...

AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... SYDNEY, March 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: - Lindsay Fox postpones trip to Europe while Ansett employees began last remaining shifts. - NSW Land and Environment Court upholds government's...

NORD PACIFIC TO SELL COPPER INTERESTS IN AUSTRALIA.
March 1, 2002... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Feb. 28 PRNewswire-FirstCall-Asianet- Nord Pacific Limited (OTC: NORPF; Toronto: NPF) announced that it has reached agreement on the sale of its Girilambone and Tritton...

BROADENGATE SYSTEMS WINS MITSUBISHI UNIT SOFTWARE DEAL.
March 1, 2002... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) DALIAN, Feb. 28 PRNewswire Asia-FirstCall-AsiaNet - As the leading software outsourcing services provider in China, BroadenGate Systems Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BROG) recently won a COBOL...

HUANENG POWER ANNOUNCES NEW TARIFF FOR CHINA PLANT.
March 1, 2002... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BEIJING, Feb. 28 PRNewswire Asia-FirstCall-AsiaNet - Huaneng Power International, Inc. (NYSE: HNP)(HKEx: 902)(SSE: 600011) (the "Company") today announced the tariff adjustment for Huaneng...

AUSTRALIA'S TETHYAN COPPER UNVEILS PAKISTAN COPPER PROJECT.
March 1, 2002... ISLAMABAD, March 1 Asia Pulse - Australia's Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) Ltd announced plans on Wednesday for a US$150 million investment in a southwestern Pakistan mine project that could produce about 40,000 tonnes of copper a year for...

JAPAN TO PROVIDE $300 MLN TO PAKISTAN TEXTILE, SOCIAL SECTORS.
March 1, 2002... ISLAMABAD, March 1 Asia Pulse - Japan will provide $300 million for improving the social sector and the quality of water in the textile sector of Karachi's industrial area. This was stated by a five-member delegation of the Japan External...

PHOTRONICS SET TO BUILD MAJOR CHIP PLANT IN CHINA.
March 1, 2002... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SHANGHAI, Feb. 28 PRNewswire-FirstCall-Asianet - Photronics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLAB), the world's leader in sub-wavelength reticle solution technology, today outlined its strategy for expansion...

ADVISORY - HOLIDAY IN S. KOREA ON MARCH 1.
March 1, 2002... This is to advise subscribers that there will be no service from Korea today, Friday, March 1, due to the Independence Movement Day holiday.

PHILIPPINES, BANGLADESH TO IMPORT RICE FROM PAKISTAN.
March 1, 2002... ISLAMABAD, March 1 Asia Pulse - Philippines has decided to import 250,000 tons of rice from Pakistan while Bangladesh will be importing 50,000 tons of rice very soon. "We will shortly be calling tenders for the export of 250,000 tons and...

TRW AUTOMOTIVE WINS BRAKING CONTRACT FROM TOYOTA.
March 1, 2002... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) BIRMINGHAM, Feb. 28 PRNewswire-FirstCall-Asianet - TRW Automotive today announced a contract win of $75 million from Toyota to supply the full foundation brake system for the new UK-built...

STOCKS - AUSTRALIAN INDEX OPENS SOFTER - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... SYDNEY, March 1 Asia Pulse - Australian stocks were slightly softer in a quiet market this morning, following the lead of US markets which failed to hold on to early gains overnight. By 1020 AEDT the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index had slipped...

HARD TIMES FOR CHINA AIRLINES AS IT SELLS AGING PLANE FOR SCRAP.
March 1, 2002... TAIPEI, March 1 Asia Pulse - Analysts say that the aviation industry has seen the worst of the economic slowdown, but things got so bad for China Airlines (CAL) (TAIEX:2610) after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States that...

TAIWAN TARGETS FUTURE AS MAJOR BIOTECHNOLOGY HUB.
March 1, 2002... TAIPEI, March 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan stands a good chance of becoming an investment conduit and manufacturing hub for the biotechnology industry, according to a local industrial technology expert. Lee Chung-hsi, the deputy director of...

RYDER SYSTEM OF US MAY SET UP AIR MAINTENANCE COMPLEX IN TAIWAN.
March 1, 2002... SINGAPORE, March 1 Asia Pulse - Representatives of Ryder System, Inc., a U.S.-based provider of logistics, supply chain and transportation management solutions, and the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) of the Taiwan's Ministry of Economic...

INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE EXHIBITION OPENS IN TAIPEI.
March 1, 2002... TAIPEI, March 1 Asia Pulse - An international exhibition of franchises opened at the Taipei World Trade Center for four days. The third Taipei International Chain and Franchise Exhibition has brought together 120 franchise companies from...

HONG KONG NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... HONG KONG,March 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: - The net profit of urban railway operator MTR Corp climbed 5.28 per cent to HK$4.28 billion last year on the back of lower interest expenses...

THAI NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... BANGKOK, Mar 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: BANGKOK - Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday directed both the Telephone Organisation of Thailand and the Communications Authority of Thailand to merge before...

TAIWAN TO INTRODUCE `.GAME.TW' SECOND-LEVEL DOMAIN IN JULY.
March 1, 2002... TAIPEI, March 1 Asia Pulse - A new ".game.tw" second-level domain will be open for registration beginning July, Taiwan Network Information Center decided Wednesday. The move will help promote the development of the local game industry and...

SINGAPORE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... SINGAPORE, March 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STRAITS TIMES - Starhub yesterday announced solid net profits of $100 million for the nine months ended Dec 31 and said it was aiming for a listing on the Singapore...

LIBYA EAGER TO BUY WHEAT, RICE FROM PAKISTAN.
March 1, 2002... KARACHI, March 1 Asia Pulse - The minister of state and chairman Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Tariq Ikram said on Wednesday that Libya is keen to purchase 50,000 tons rice and 0.2 million tons of wheat. Briefing newsmen on his recent visit...

JAPANESE MANUFACTURER TO OUTSOURCE REPAIRS TO LUFTHANSA.
March 1, 2002... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SINGAPORE, Feb. 27 /News Aktuell-AsiaNet - Asian Aerospace 2002 - From now on, Japanese MRO provider and aircraft-engine manufacturer Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) will be...

TAIWAN BIOTECH INDUSTRY SHOULD PLAY TO STRENGTHS: U.S. EXPERT.
March 1, 2002... TAIPEI, March 1 Asia Pulse - Taiwan's biotech industry should not blindly pursue what is fashionable but should instead play to its own unique strengths and establish alliances with appropriate partners, Isis Pharmaceuticals CEO Stanley T....

JAPAN EXPANDS ITS WHALE HUNT AND ADDS ENDANGERED WHALES.
March 1, 2002... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) CAPE COD, Mass., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- The Director General of the Japanese Institute of Cetacean Research, Dr. Seiji Ohsumi, announced today, to harsh global criticism, that...

JAPAN AIR SYSTEM APPOINTS NEW MAINTENANCE PROVIDER.
March 1, 2002... (Full text of a statement. Contact details below.) SINGAPORE, Feb. 27 News Aktuell-AsiaNet - Asian Aerospace 2002 - In Japan, Lufthansa Technik AG has gained a major new customer, for whom it will be providing its MRO services of servicing...

PAKISTAN'S NATL LOGISTIC CELL TO EXPLORE BUSINESS IN AFGHANISTAN.
March 1, 2002... KARACHI, Feb March 1 Asia Pulse - A delegation of National Logistic Cell (NLC) will visit Afghanistan to explore opportunities for local products as well as to sort out shipments, cargo movement and logistic issues. This was stated by...

WATER SHORTAGES MAY FORCE HIGH-TECH FIRMS OUT OF TAIWAN.
March 1, 2002... HSINCHU, Taiwan, March 1 Asia Pulse - The ongoing water shortage problem may force companies in the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park - the core of Taiwan's high-technology industry - off the island, a group of corporate executives warned...

TAIWAN TO EFFECT ANTI-SEX DISCRIMINATION LAW ON MARCH 8.
March 1, 2002... TAIPEI, March 1 Asia Pulse - Discrimination against women will be made officially illegal in Taiwan from March 8, International Women's Day, with the implementation of a new law. The law, aimed at wiping out the "gender gap," outlaws...

PAKISTAN GAS PRICES TO RISE BETWEEN 8 AND 10 PER CENT.
March 1, 2002... ISLAMABAD, March 1 Asia Pulse - Pakistan's cabinet has agreed to increase gas tariffs for domestic consumers by between 8 and 20 per cent effective today. Official sources confirmed that the cabinet had also approved the dismantling of...

AUSTRALIA'S MACQUARIE BANK LAUNCHES IPO FOR AIRPORTS FUND.
March 1, 2002... SYDNEY, March 1 Asia Pulse - Macquarie Bank Ltd (ASX:MBL) has announced the launch of a $A1 billion ($US515.5 million) initial public offer for its Macquarie Airports Fund (MAp). The offer involves the issue of 500 million $2.00 securities...

BIG FOREIGN RETAILERS STILL INTERESTED IN THE PHILIPPINES.
March 1, 2002... MANILA, March 1 Asia Pulse - Big foreign retailers are still interested in the country, since the local industry is being considered as the country's growth driver aside from agriculture, although they give priority to China for their expansion...

AUSTRALIA'S TECHNOLOGY ONE POSTS US$2 MLN H1 NET PROFIT.
March 1, 2002... SYDNEY, March 1 Asia Pulse - Technology One Ltd (ASX:TNE) reported a 20 per cent increase in net profit for the half year ending December 31, 2001 compared to the same period last fiscal year, to $A3.876 million ($US2 million). The company...

NEW FERTILISER WAREHOUSE TO BE BUILT IN PHILIPPINES.
March 1, 2002... STA. ANA, Cagayan, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Penta Maritime Corporation, a subsidiary shipping company of the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corporation (PhilPhos), in cooperation with the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) will build a...

VIRGIN BLUE TO CONSIDER USING ASSETS, STAFF FROM ANSETT: BRANSON.
March 1, 2002... CANBERRA, March 1 Asia Pulse - Budget airline Virgin Blue will look at employing more staff and buying assets from collapsed competitor Ansett - but not if it pushed costs up too much, its boss Richard Branson said today. "We are looking...

BRISBANE AIRPORT BENEFITS FROM SURGE IN LUNAR NEW YEAR ARRIVALS.
March 1, 2002... BRISBANE, March 1 Asia Pulse - Brisbane Airport has reported improved passenger figures thanks to a higher number of people travelling during the Chinese New Year holiday last month. Brisbane Airport Corporation General manager Cam Spencer...

US CO CYOTA FORMS MARKETING PARTNERSHIP WITH JAPAN'S IWI.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - New York-based payment security company Cyota has announced the formation of a new marketing partnership with Japanese credit card software developer Intelligent Wave Inc (IWI). IWI is the largest company in its...

CALCOL RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR BEIJING SOFT DRINK PLANT.
March 1, 2002... BEIJING, March 1 Asia Pulse - Calcol Inc (OTCBB:CLCL) has received full and final approval from the RC Cola International division of Cott Beverages and the Chinese government for its Beijing soft drink concentrate plant. "Calcol's soft...

ERICSSON TO PROVIDE NET PROTOCOL NETWORK IN CHINA.
March 1, 2002... BEIJING, March 1 Asia Pulse - Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERICY) has announced the signing of a contract with the Guangxi Mobile Communications Company in China to provide a provincial IP backbone network spanning eight cities in the Guangxi region. ...

BARRINGTON FOODS SETS UP DISTRIBUTION JV IN VIETNAM.
March 1, 2002... LAS VEGAS, March 1 Asia Pulse - United States-based Barrington Foods International has announced the formation of a 50-50 joint venture with a privately-owned food distributor in Vietnam for the marketing and distribution of its products in...

JAPAN'S VENTURE LINK TO MAKE BID FOR NISSHO INTER SHARES.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - Venture Link Co. (TSE:9609) will make a bid for 3 million shares in Nissho Inter Life Co. (TSE:1986), an interior design and refurbishment business, the franchise-chain support company announced Thursday. ...

MITSUBISHI, MAINICHI BROADCASTING FORM TV SHOPPING FIRM.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - Mitsubishi Corp. (TSE:8058) and the Mainichi Broadcasting System Inc. are setting up a joint venture on Friday to provide home shopping programming to regional television stations. Both the trader and the...

JAPANESE MORNING NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, Mar 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) today: - BOJ To Buy More JGBs Ahead Of FY01-End - Hitachi To Incur Y480bn Group Net Loss On Greater Restructuring Costs - Canon...

JAPAN'S HITACHI PREDICTS US$3.59 BLN GROUP NET LOSS.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - Hitachi Ltd (TSE:6501) expects to post a consolidated net loss of 480 billion yen ($US3.59 billion) for the fiscal year through March, compared with a profit of 104.4 billion yen a year earlier, the company said...

NTT EAST, NTT WEST REVISE DOWN REVENUE FORECASTS.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (TSE:9432) regional arms NTT East Corp. and NTT West Corp. cut their combined operating revenues forecast for fiscal 2002 by Y399 billion ($US2.98 billion), or 7.8% from the...

OPENTV TO HELP DEVELOP STANDARDS FOR JAPANESE CABLE TV.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - The US-based interactive television company OpenTV has announced it is joining Japan Cable Laboratories to help develop standards for digital cable TV technology in the Japanese cable market. Japan Cable...

JAPAN'S JASRAC, OTHERS FILE SUIT AGAINST ONLINE MUSIC PROVIDER.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) and 19 member music software firms of the Recording Industry Association of Japan filed a lawsuit in Tokyo District Court on Thursday...

CREDITOR CLAIMS AGAINST JAPAN'S MYCAL TOTAL US$13.79 BLN.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - Claims by creditors against Mycal Corp on a parent-only basis totalled 2.11 trillion yen ($US15.79 billion) as of Jan 31, administrator Motoya Okada, who is also president of Aeon Co (TSE:8267), reported Thursday at...

JAPAN'S FEB DIFFUSION INDEX SHOWS SMALLER FIRMS MORE PESSIMISTIC.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - Business sentiment among small and midsize companies in Japan worsened in February for the first time in three months, according to figures released Thursday by Shoko Chukin Bank. The diffusion index of business...

COURT REJECTS NICHIA PATENT VIOLATION CLAIM.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Tokyo District Court has turned down a total of Y350 million ($US2.62 million) in damages in two lawsuits filed by Nichia Corp. that claim products manufactured and marketed by Toyoda Gosei Co. (TSE:7282)...

TOP FIVE MALAYSIAN BANKS SET UP ONLINE SERVICES.
March 1, 2002... KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 Asia Pulse - Malaysia's top five commercial banks, the Arab-Malaysian Banking Group (AMBG), Bumiputra-Commerce Bank Berhad (BCBB) and RHB Bank Berhad (RHB), have launched Internet banking sites powered by technology from...

PHILIPPINES GLOBE TELECOM TO ISSUE US$300 MLN IN BONDS THIS YEAR.
March 1, 2002... MANILA, March 1 Asia Pulse - Globe Telecom, a subsidiary of diversified Philippine giant Ayala Corp, has announced plans to issue US$300 million worth of 10-year bonds this year. Globe chief financial officer Delfin Gonzalez said that the...

PHILIPPINES CENTRAL BANK SAYS LEVEL OF BAD LOANS UNACCEPTABLE.
March 1, 2002... MANILA, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has said that the current double-figure precentage of non-performing loans (NPLs) held by the country's commercial banks is unacceptable. In a forum hosted by the local unit of...

PHILIPPINES ANTI MONEY-LAUNDERING BODY CALLS FOR TIGHTER LAWS.
March 1, 2002... MANILA, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Philippines' Anti-money Laundering Council (Amlac), headed by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Rafael Buenaventura, has urged Congress to amend laws to reduce the minimum amount of suspicious funds eligible...

JAPAN POSTS 19.4% RISE IN VOLUME OF DOMESTIC SERVER SHIPMENTS.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's domestic shipments increased to 460,000 units in calendar 2001, up 19.4 per cent from the year before, according to a survey released Thursday by Gartner Japan Ltd. Shipments were strong in the first...

HK INVESTOR APPLIES TO BUILD FERTILIZER PLANT IN N SUMATRA.
March 1, 2002... MEDAN, N Sumatra, March 1 Asia Pulse - An investor from Hong Kong has reportedly expressed interest in constructing a plant to make phosphate fertilizer the Indonesian province of North Sumatra. "The investor wants to partner with local...

RENAULT TO RAISE STAKE IN NISSAN TO 44.4%.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - French automaker Renault SA said that it will boost its equity stake in Nissan Motor Co (TSE:7201) to 44.4 per cent from 36.8 per cent, effective Friday. Renault will give Nissan 215.9 billion yen ($US1.61...

JAPAN'S JANUARY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT SHIPMENTS SLIP 13.4%.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, Mar 1 Asia Pulse - Japan's January shipments of construction equipment were valued at 83.63 billion yen ($US623.76 million), down 13.4 per cent on the year and declining for the 16th straight month, the Japan Construction Equipment...

SONY CLIMBS TO NO 3 IN DOMESTIC PC SHIPMENTS: IDC JAPAN.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - Sony Corp (TSE:6758) edged past IBM Japan Ltd. into third place for the number of personal computers shipped in Japan in 2001, according to figures released Thursday by International Data Corp. Japan. Bolstered...

JAPAN'S NEC TO RAISE PDP OUTPUT CAPACITY.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, Mar 1 Asia Pulse - Having recently abandoned a plan to create a PDP (plasma display panel) joint venture with French home appliance giant Thomson Multimedia SA, NEC Corporation (TSE:6701) plans to invest 27 billion yen (US$202.1 million)...

INDONESIAN GOVT TO LAUNCH PROGRAM TO HELP SMEs.
March 1, 2002... JAKARTA, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Indonesian government has announced plans to launch a scheme to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country revive their operations and settle bad debts. The government should make concrete...

VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... HANOI, March 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: NHAN DAN: - During a reception of State-Secretary of the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology Axel Gerlach here yesterday, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai said...

VIETNAM COMPLETES 24 BRIDGES ON HO CHI MINH HIGHWAY.
March 1, 2002... HANOI, March 1 Asia Pulse - Twenty-four of the 36 bridges planned on the north central section of the Ho Chi Minh Highway have been completed after twenty months of construction work. The bridges, located in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri...

VIETNAM SHIPYARD LAUNCHES COUNTRY'S THIRD BIGGEST CARGO SHIP.
March 1, 2002... HANOI, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Bach Dang Shipyard in the northern port city of Hai Phong has launched a 6,500-tonnes cargo ship. The ship, 102m long, 17.04m wide and 8.8m high, is equipped with a 3,600-HP engine as its main motor. It has a...

JAPAN TO HELP VIETNAM WITH QUARANTINE SYSTEM.
March 1, 2002... HANOI, March 1 Asia Pulse - Japan has offered to help Vietnam update its quarantine system through training and supplying equipment as part of efforts to raise the quality of agricultural exports, said a Japanese senior official. Japanese...

INTIME NAMES MAOJET, I&C AS DISTRIBUTORS IN TAIWAN AND KOREA.
March 1, 2002... SEOUL, Mar 1 Asia Pulse - California-based InTime Software, an electronic design automation (EDA) company, has formed distribution partnerships in Taiwan and Korea. Maojet Technology Corporation will represent InTime in Taiwan and I&C...

ICANN SIGNS OVER OPERATORSHIP OF NEW JAPANESE INTERNET DOMAIN.
March 1, 2002... TOKYO, March 1 Asia Pulse - The California-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Japan Registry Service Corporation (JPRS) have signed an agreement delegating responsibility for a new domain code in Japan....

INDONESIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... JAKARTA, March 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights from today's newspapers: THE JAKARTA POST - Thousands of Muslims and Christians mingled freely in a parade accross the Maluku capital of Ambon on Thursday to express their happiness with and...

JAPAN GOVT TENDER - AIR-CONDITIONER (1).
March 1, 2002... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** POSTAL SERVICES AGENCY TO PROCURE AIR-CONDITIONER The following is a procurement notice published in the Kanpo Japanese government gazette on Feb 21: (1) Contracting entity : Satoshi Shinbo,...

JAPAN GOVT TENDER - AIR-CONDITIONER (2).
March 1, 2002... ***** ASIA PULSE TENDER ***** POSTAL SERVICES AGENCY TO PROCURE AIR-CONDITIONER The following is a procurement notice published in the Kanpo Japanese government gazette on Feb 21: (1) Contracting entity : Satoshi Shinbo,...

VIETNAM CERAMICS CORP PLANS TO DOUBLE EXPORT PROFITS THIS YEAR.
March 1, 2002... HANOI, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Vietnam Glass and Ceramics Corporation (Viglacera) has poured funds into a number of new production facilities in a bid to double export profits this year. The corporation has drawn up ambitious plans that...

INDONESIAN GOVT URGED TO ADJUST OIL AND GAS INVESTMENT POLICIES.
March 1, 2002... JAKARTA, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Indonesian government has been warned that unless it makes drastic changes to oil and gas investment policies investments will tend to decline. "We estimate investments in the country's upstream oil and...

MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... KUALA LUMPER, March 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: THE STAR - Investors gave a lukewarm reception to Technology Resources Industries Bhd (TRI) shares yesterday when the restricted issue and the ordinary shares were...

KOREAN TRADE BODY TO LAUNCH INFO SERVICE FOR FOREIGN BUSINESSMEN.
March 1, 2002... SEOUL, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) today said that it will set up a internet homepage that will cater to the needs of foreign business community. The trade promotion organization said that its Korea...

KOREA ELECTRIC POWER CORP POSTS US$14.93 BLN IN SALES IN 2001.
March 1, 2002... SEOUL, March 1 Asia Pulse - The Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) today said that its sales for 2001 topped 19.82 trillion won (US$14.93 billion), which is an increase of 8.6 per cent compared to the 18.25 trillion reported for the...

CHINA TO LAUNCH ANTI-DUMPING INVESTIGATION INTO EU CHEMICAL.
March 1, 2002... BEIJING, Mar 1 Asia Pulse - China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) today launched an anti-dumping investigation into EU-imported catechol, a chemical used as an antiseptic or as a photographic developer. In...

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TO BE IMPORTANT SECTOR IN CHINA.
March 1, 2002... BEIJING, March 1 Asia Pulse - China's environmental protection industry is expected to face unprecedented development opportunities over the the next few years to become a new growth point of the national economy, official sources said. At...

CHINESE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - MARCH 1, 2002.
March 1, 2002... BEIJING, March 1 Asia Pulse - Highlights of today's newspapers: PEOPLE'S DAILY - Chinese President Jiang Zemin made a speech entitled "Jointly Create a Bright Future for China-Vietnam Relations" to the teachers and students at Hanoi...

CHINA'S URBAN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HITS 3.6% IN 2001.
March 1, 2002... BEIJING, March 1 Asia Pulse - China's registered urban unemployment rate stood at 3.6 per cent in 2001, the National Bureau of Statistics announced. Last year 730.25 million people were employed, 9.4 million more than in 2000, according to...

CHINA TO STEP UP RECTIFICATION OF ECONOMIC ORDER.
March 1, 2002... BEIJING, March 1 Asia Pulse - The State Council and China's cabinet held a national teleconference on February 28 which called for a greater effort in rectifying the economic order. Vice Premier Li Lanqing, who presided over the conference,...

CHINESE BEARING FIRMS ACCUSED OF DUMPING BY US RESPOND.
March 1, 2002... HANGZHOU, March 1 Asia Pulse - The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) held a meeting in Hangzhou this week to inform local bearing manufacturers they had been accused of dumping by the...