Saturday, April 20 2024 | ASIA TODAY INTERNATIONAL - Reporting the Business that Matters in Asia
SYDNEY - Following the January 2016 elections in Taiwan, Australia needs to put the evolving cross-Strait situation on its strategic radar, according to a new report released today by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). The report analyses the likely strategic implications of the new DPP Government in Taiwan in terms of cross-strait stability and the possible impact on Australia.
SINGAPORE - Standard & Poor's today assigned its 'BB+' long-term foreign currency rating to a proposed global sukuk trust certificate issuance under the US$10 billion rated sukuk programme of Indonesia through Perusahaan Penerbit SBSN Indonesia III (PPSI-III). The issuer is a fully owned special purpose vehicle of Indonesia established solely for issuing foreign-currency-denominated Sharia-compliant securities of Indonesia in international markets.
PERTH – An Australian education and management training provider has won official approval to access India’s vocational education and training market 12 months after opening its first study centre in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to provide direct training courses.
SYDNEY – Commenting on fourth quarter growth numbers for 2015, the investment management and research firm AllianceBernstein (AB) says it believes jobs numbers and GDP statistics in Australia are set to unwind through the first half of 2016. “Disappointment may well replace that sense of relief,” AB says.
HONG KONG - The. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) says increases in the value of overseas investor trading and Exchange Participants' (EPs’) principal trading underpinned strong growth in the value of all market trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
GENEVA - IATA data for global air freight markets in January showing a rise in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs) of 2.7% compared to January 2015, continuing the improving trend seen towards the end of 2015. It was the fastest pace since April of last year, but the freight load factor (FLF) fell 1.8% indicating that yields are likely to come under further pressure.
HONG KONG - China exports shrank faster in February (down 25.4% from a fall of 11.2% in January), and that’s why China won’t release a trade growth target, says French investment bank Natixis.
HONG KONG – China’s annual National People's Congress will convene in Beijing on Saturday (March 5), with the meeting to approve the nation’s 13th Five Year Plan - which will have a key focus on reforms aimed at doubling average income by 2020.
BEIJING - China’s Ministry of Commerce has announced the draft of a foreign investment law that would lower the entry barrier for foreign investors and grant them easier access to the Chinese market. Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said the Ministry wants to put inflows of FDI on a firmer footing in China to improve the domestic business environment, adjust the industrial and regional development structure and gain high-end technologies.
BEIJING – The President of the China National Nuclear Corp, Sun Qin, has announced that China has set a target of building approximately 30 nuclear power units in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative routes by 2030.
PERTH – GHD, Australia’s – and one of the world’s – biggest private companies servicing the engineering, architecture and environmental consulting sectors, today announced that Ashley Wright will become Chief Executive from April 1. He will succeed Ian Shepherd, who is retiring after 30 years with the firm and almost eight years as CEO, during which time annual turnover increased from AUD900 million to almost AUD1.6 billion.
SINGAPORE – The Singapore High Court has ordered Network Service Providers Singtel, Starhub, M1, MyRepublic and ViewQuest to block the piracy site Solarmovie.ph, which features links to the latest Hollywood movies and TV shows, by March 17.
SHANGHAI - The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has become the first non-Asian headquartered dispute resolution institution to establish an office in mainland China, following receipt of an official license from the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) permitting the opening of a new ICC representative office in Shanghai’s Free Trade Zone.
BEIJING - Two months after intense smog triggered the capital’s first-ever red alert, Beijing’s environmental protection bureau said the highest alert will only be issued when the daily average air quality index (AQI) is forecast to exceed 500 a day, 300 for two days in a row or 200 for four days. Presently, a red alert is issued when the AQI is forecast to exceed 200 for at least three days.
BEIJING - The European Chamber of Commerce in China has warned of what it calls ‘increasing dangers’ in overcapacity in eight of China’s key industries, and in a new report examines in detail the causes and consequences of overcapacity while analysing developments that have taken place since the Chamber published its original report on this topic in 2009.
MELBOURNE – The Board of National Australia Bank Limited has appointed Philip Chronican as a non-executive director with effect from May 2. Chronican has extensive banking experience following a 30 year career of banking roles in Australia and New Zealand. He was most recently responsible for ANZ’s Australia division, with specific responsibility for ANZ's Retail and Commercial businesses. Prior to joining ANZ, he had a long career at Westpac in executive roles including Group Executive Westpac Institutional Bank and Chief Financial Officer.