Asia-Pacific

Open for business: "Off-limits" investment sectors opened up. The Indian government revised its foreign investment policy guidelines in mid-February, with a changed methodology for computing foreign equity holdings in Indian companies. According to the new guidelines, any equity held by ...

As economic growth tails off, China's unemployment level is rising sharply. China’s economic growth is tailing off as feared. Although annual growth in 2008 was 9%, fourth-quarter growth slowed to a seven-year low of 6.9% year-on-year, according to preliminary estimates ...

Wen Jiabao:May be preparing ground for major policy shift Wen Jiabao, China’s premier, has had a lot to say about US treasury bonds and the relative value of the yuan lately. Perhaps he misses his strategic economic dialogue with former ...

Company To Watch: Indofood Sukses Makmur/indonesia Low commodity prices are hurting Indonesia’s export earnings, but they could benefit Indofood Sukses Makmur, one of the world’s largest makers of instant noodles, commonly known as ramen noodles. With about 238 million people, ...

Electoral gains: Poll-related spending will help boost India's economy in 2009 According to a consensus taken from a group of prominent Indian economists, including those representing the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, J.P. Morgan India and S&P; Asia Pacific, the ...

DR NEWS Pune, India-based Suzlon Energy, the world’s fifth-largest maker of wind turbines, said it received approval from Indian regulatory authorities to raise up to $370 million through the issuance of depositary receipts overseas. The company has not yet decided ...

INDIA     Caught in a jam: Many of India’s key indicators are slumping Following the revelation of accounting fraud by Satyam Computers, India’s fourth-largest IT services company, the stock recorded one of the worst drops in Indian stock market ...

STARS OF CHINA Over the past decade, China’s government has been working on an ambitious plan to improve the health, transparency and effectiveness of its country’s sprawling banking system. Weighed down with bad loans, mired in bureaucracy and often plagued ...

INDIA     Satyam: Facing disaster When Satyam Computers’ founder, chairman & CEO Ramalinga Raju revealed the depth of the accounting fraud he had perpetuated for more than a decade, investors were left with more questions than answers, particularly about ...

CHINA       Bank of China: Foreign investors cashing in stakes   China will offer tax cuts and subsidies to spur its steel and automotive industries, the country’s State Council announced on January 14. The government will limit expansion ...

ASIA-PACIFIC     Asia looks to cash in on its emerging Islamic financial center status. The Asia-Pacific region already accounts for 60% of the world’s Islamic banking assets and could be a center of growth for the shariah-compliant finance industry ...

  Policymakers in Taiwan are pulling out all the stops in their response to the global economic slump.     Taiwan's president Ma Ying-jeou: Promoting better relations with China.   Taiwan is an economic success story. The island, despite political ...

UNILEVER CLEANS UP ACT OVER PALM OIL     Unilever Indonesia recently opened a factory for skin-care products in Cikarang, West Java. The factory joins seven others operated by Unilever in the country, where Lever Brothers opened a soap factory ...

China     Treasury secretary Paulson and Chinese president Hu vow to fight protectionism. China has increased export tax rebates and depreciated the value of the yuan relative to the US dollar in recent weeks, prompting fears that protectionist pressures ...

INDIA     Building hope: One of the few brights spots in the Indian economy, real estate still attracts investors. Leading Indian manufacturers have dismissed the Indian government’s $4 billion stimulus package as insufficient. The Federation of Indian Chambers of ...

CHINA AND INDIA As the global economy continues to struggle, many are hoping China and India will save the world from a synchronized dive into recession.     Growth industry: India's call center business is flourishing. As the United States ...

INDIA     Boom from bust: State Bank of India is taking on more staff as business builds strongly. India’s job market appears to have escaped unscathed in the global wave of retrenchment. There were concerns that the outsourcing industry ...

JAPAN     Japanese PM Taro Aso lends a hand in economic recovery. Japanese prime minister Taro Aso may have had his 15 minutes of fame at the Group of 20 summit meeting in Washington last month. With the United ...

TREASURY MANAGEMENT: ASIA Facing a unique set of challenges, treasurers in Asia-Pacific are focusing on improving liquidity management.     Newton: Organizations placing investment want to know exactly where it is being invested. It is a tough time for corporates ...

CHINA     Chinese authorities in infrastructure spending spree to stimulate economy. China will spend 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) over the next two years on infrastructure and social welfare projects, the country’s State Council announced on November 9. Policymakers ...