China’s labour shortages and rising wages
China’s labor shortages have worsened significantly since 2005 with the country’s youth population now in decline. Wage and benefit costs have spiraled higher prompting some foreign buyers to look for...
View ArticleHong Kong and Halal fishballs
‘Fishballs’ are a popular snack in Hong Kong, and sold in 7-11 stores across the city to school children. But are they Halal? Not quite. According to Dr Paul O’Connor, the author of a recent book on...
View ArticleTaking Asia’s debt pulse
Considering how important debt is to any economy, it is remarkable how much effort it takes to assemble accurate and timely data on the subject. But we have done just this for Emerging Asia. The good...
View ArticleGuangzhou’s light-rail reshapes the city
The Guangfo light-rail running between Guangzhou and neighboring Foshan takes around 45-minutes. It is turning Foshan into a dormitory city for those who work in Guangzhou but are looking to escape the...
View ArticleWestern firms rethink Asia approach
The Wall Street Journal is worried about the challenges for multinationals in the region. We agree, and the article neatly sums up the key issues: growth opportunities are significant, but emerging...
View ArticleMore shirts and jumpers from Asia
China’s rising costs and the outsourcing of production to other low-cost Asian countries is a favorite subject of ours, and we spend a good deal of time speaking with global retailers and sourcing...
View ArticleThe very large, and empty, New South China Mall
The New South China Mall, in the southern city of Dongguan, is China’s largest shopping mall. It was also ill-conceived. The mall is empty, eight years after it was first constructed. Chinese shoppers...
View ArticleEven Chinese firms find China tough
Even as foreign companies rush to China, many Chinese firms claim tough market conditions are forcing them overseas. In a recent survey of 300 Chinese firms, some 77% of respondents cited rising prices...
View ArticleMapping China’s fast expanding metro systems
Getting people from A to B can deliver a boost to a city’s productivity. (It’s certainly easier to get around Beijing these days). We profile 10 metro systems among the 17 already in operation.
View ArticleSelling to China through Daigou
Wondering if your product might sell in China? There’s a chance it already is through agents purchasing goods overseas for Chinese buyers. Called daigou (代购), the industry is estimated to be worth at...
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