Sunday, April 22 2018 | ASIA TODAY INTERNATIONAL - Reporting the Business that Matters in Asia
SYDNEY - Researchers from RMIT University have developed a new ultra-thin coating that responds to heat and cold, opening the door to “smart windows”. The self-modifying coating, which is a thousand times thinner than a human hair, works by automatically letting in more heat when it’s cold and blocking the sun’s rays when it’s hot.
BEIJING – China has said it opposes Washington's use of domestic laws to impose unilateral sanctions, and that it terms the United States” “long-arm jurisdiction” on Chinese entities and individuals after Washington announced new sanctions against Pyongyang.
SEOUL – South Korean President, Moon Jae-in, says the process of denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula and that of inter-Korean dialogue must have improvements together, and that, toward this aim, close co-operation between Seoul and Washington is essential.
BEIJING - China’s health care sector is expected to continue its robust growth as the industry benefits from supportive policies and investors are drawn to surging biotech stocks listed in Hong Kong, said an analyst at ICBC International has told Caixin.
HONG KONG - The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited has published a consultation paper seeking public feedback on proposed new rules to expand Hong Kong’s listing regime to facilitate listings of companies from emerging and innovative sectors.
CANBERRA - Reports that the Australian and U,S, Governments have discussed Australia engaging in freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea have been welcomed by Liberal Senator Eric Abetz, a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee. Abetz is a long-time proponent of Australia engaging in freedom of navigation exercises in the region to ensure the continued stability in Asia-Pacific.
SINGAPORE – China’s ICT giant, Huawei, and Singapore’s Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) have agreed to set up the first ICT Academy in Singapore as part of Huawei's global initiative to support ICT skills development.
SHANGHAI - The latest U.S. Commerce Department recommendations to raise tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum imports are “baseless” and “totally inconsistent with the facts,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said.
NEW DELHI - The mobile wallet market in India is poised for significant growth as Indian consumers are increasingly turning away from cash and card, says data and analytics company GlobalData.
JAKARTA - The Indonesian economy expanded by 5.2%YoY in Q4 2017 from 5.1% in Q3 2017 thanks to stronger investment. Public and private investment picked up due to an acceleration of infrastructure investment and reduction of funding costs. By sector, transport and storage continued its rebound in Q4.
SINGAPORE -- Asia-Pacific data at the start of 2018 is reasonably strong. Manufacturing sentiment looks solid, with high and modestly rising purchasing manager's indices (PMIs). Sentiment in the services segment also remains firm, says S&P Global Ratings in a report just published.
BEIJING - China posted double-digit growth in tourism revenue during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, with the tourism industry taking in RMB475 billion (US$75 billion) in revenue, up 12.6% from last year's holiday, according to the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).
Some 386 million trips by tourists were made, up 12.1% from last year, CNTA said in a statement.
The State newsagency, Xinhua, reported that Guangdong, Sichuan and Hunan received the most tourists among all provincial regions.
MANILA - To help fund the Government’s Build, Build, Build programme, the Duterte Administration is pushing a comprehensive amendment of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997 with the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN).
RANGOON - Pending IP legislation in Myanmar on copyright, trademarks, industrial designs, and patents were passed by the National Parliament on February 15 in a development which signals movement of the Bills from the Myanmar National Parliament to the People’s Parliament, where final revisions may be made.
XAVIER EIGLIER has been named Managing Director of ANL Container Line, a wholly-owned subsidiary of France’s CMA CGM, effective once an extensive handover is completed. He succeeds John Lines, who is stepping down from day-to-day operations to become Chairman of ANL.
SINGAPORE – Singapore’s FY2018 budget has focussed on addressing long-term challenges for the country and maintaining fiscal sustainability at the same time. It addresses four key issues: (1) meeting the challenges of an ageing society; (2) growing Singapore’s stature as a smart city; (3) enhancing competitiveness; and (4) ensuring a sound fiscal position.