Asia-Pacific

MILESTONES: ASIA   by Denise Bedell   Charged up: Investment should enhance power grid Vietnam’s National Power Transmission Corporation (NPT) has launched a $200 million, 13-year infrastructure finance facility that demonstrates the growing enthusiasm among international investors for financing Asian ...

TRADE SURPLUS GROWS SHARPLY   By Thomas Clouse   China’s trade surplus jumped to $11.4 billion in April, after the country posted its first quarterly deficit in seven years in the first three months of the year.   China moves ...

INDIA SHORTLISTS EUROPEAN FIGHTERS FOR $11 BILLION CONTRACT   By Aaron Chaze   After a fiercely contested bidding process, which involved President Obama’s pitching in on behalf of US aerospace firms, the Indian government has announced the finalists in the ...

FOCUS: INVESTMENT BANKING IN ASIA   By Michael Shari   Asia’s big banks are elbowing out their Western rivals as demand for financial services skyrockets in the region—and beyond.   One of the great ironies lost in the panic of ...

EMERGING MARKETS INVESTOR: DR NEWS   By Gordon Platt   China-based Renren, a copycat of Facebook, became the first social networking site anywhere to be listed on an exchange, with a solid debut on the New York Stock Exchange last ...

EMERGING MARKETS INVESTOR: NEWS   By Gordon Platt   Indonesia’s stock market was expected to take a breather this year, after being one of the star performers of 2010, with an advance of 46%.   Instead, the benchmark Jakarta Composite ...

NEWSMAKERS: SINGAPORE   By Thomas Clouse   Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew resigned his cabinet post on May 14 after his party, the People’s Action Party (PAP), garnered just over 60% of the popular vote, its weakest showing since ...

MILESTONES : THAILAND   By Thomas Clouse   The people of Thailand will soon go to the polls following a royal decree last month dissolving the lower house of parliament and calling for elections on July 3.   Thai PM ...

Tata Steel Forges Ahead With Hybrid Securities Issue   By Aaron Chaze   Tata Steel is the first Indian company outside of the banking sector to raise capital by issuing a hybrid security.   Mill power: Tata shows its muscle ...

ASIA Credit Quality May Hinder Expansion Plans   While most of emerging Asia’s banks came out of the 2008 financial crisis with strong capital ratios and creditworthiness, the crisis had more of a negative impact on banks in some of ...

EMERGING MARKETS INVESTOR: DR NEWS   By Gordon Platt   Hoang Anh Gia Lai, a conglomerate with interests in real estate and rubber plantations, has become the first Vietnam-based company to list global depositary receipts (GDRs) on the London Stock ...

Beijing Tightens Trade Ties With Brazil   By Thomas Clouse   China and Brazil have agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade and development.   Chinese imports rise China and Brazil agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade and development in April ...

MILESTONES: VIETNAM   By Thomas Clouse   Vietnam’s policymakers are struggling to rein in inflation after the consumer price index (CPI) rose by a two-year high of 13.9% year-on-year in March.   Spending roars ahead The country performed well throughout ...

COVER STORY: JAPAN   By Michael Shari     Although it inflicted unspeakable horrors upon an aging, hard-working population, Japan’s recent earthquake is breathing new life into a deflationary economy.     The symbolism was lost on no one when ...

FOCUS: CEE KAZAKHSTAN   By Jonathan Gregson   Kazakhstan’s bold recovery plan and its efforts to stabilize its financial sector are paying off as the country establishes itself as a regional hub.   If any country fits the broad concept ...

Global Finance Announces Best Banks by Region 2011 NEW YORK, April 8, 2011 – Global Finance magazine has announced its annual awards for the World’s Best Banks in Developed and Emerging Markets. For the first time, the selections will be ...

CHINA BECOMES THE WORLD’S LEADING MANUFACTURER   By Thomas Clouse   Ending the more-than-100-year reign of the United States as the world’s top producer, China became the world’s largest manufacturer by output in 2010.   Jiabao talks down growth US-based ...

TAIWAN: CHARTING A STEADY COURSE Moderated by Joseph Giarraputo At a roundtable in Taipei, Global Finance brought together key figures in Taiwan’s banking and finance industry to discuss the prospects for one of Asia’s most successful export-driven economies.   Tzung-Ta ...

POWER SECTOR INSTALLS RECORD GENERATING CAPACITY   By Aaron Chaze   India’s power sector has installed the highest generating capacity ever in any fiscal year during the first nine months of the 2010-11 fiscal year.   India powers up its ...

ASIA ACTS AMID ADVERSITY   By Thomas Clouse   The turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa and the devastating consequences of the early March earthquake in Japan are dragging heavily on Asia’s export-led, resource-intensive economic recovery.   When ...