Monthly Archives: December 2011
Table of Contents of December 2011
1. Cover story
2. Economy outlook
China’s diplomacy in 2011 and the international financial crisis
3. Financial strategy
A.S. Watson approaches its 10,000th store in Asia and Europe
4. Legal spotlight
US federal court ruled against off-road tires case
5. Point of interest
Taiwan launches official Taiwanese food culture website
6. Portrait
7. Remark from editor
Filed under Contents
Saving tomorrow, today
The opening of the Joint High Level Segment of the COP17/CMP7 in Durban on December 6th, 2011, was inaugurated by the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as well as the President of the Conference and Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Ms. Christiana Figueres.
President Zuma highlighted that Durban is proving to be “a decisive moment” in the UNFCCC process, and called all parties to show flexibility in defense of the system. “We need to show the world that parties are ready to solve the problems in a practical manner and are willing to forgo national interest for the interest of humanity, no matter how difficult this may be”. Continue reading
Filed under Cover story
China’s diplomacy in 2011 and the international financial crisis
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (FM Yang) recently accepted an inclusive interview with People’s Daily on the international situation and China’s diplomacy in 2011. The full text of the interview reads as follows:
Journalist: What new and important developments has the international situation undergone in 2011?
FM Yang: The international situation has undergone complex and profound changes in 2011. The international situation remained peaceful and stable in general, however big, difficult and urgent events with far-reaching implications kept emerging. The turmoil side of the international situation stood out in a prominent way. International relations and international order went through accelerated adjustments and changes. Continue reading
Filed under Economy outlook
A.S. Watson approaches its 10,000th store in Asia and Europe
The A.S. Watson Group (ASW), the world’s leading international health and beauty retailer, is gearing up for a double celebration. In the early December, its flagship brand Watsons Your Personal Store opened its 1,000th store in Mainland China, one of its 33 operating markets. At the same time it is counting down to the opening of its 10,000th store globally before the end of the year.
Expansion plan in China
Watsons Your Personal Store is currently the market leader in health and beauty in China. Its popularity is reflected in the 23 million members already signed up to its loyalty programme since its launch in 2009. Last week, Watsons China’s 1,000th store was opened in Shanghai, marking an important milestone in the company’s plan to expand to 3,000 stores in China alone before end of 2016. Meanwhile, ASW is set to achieve its 10,000th store milestone globally by the end of this year. The retailer has been opening stores globally at an average rate of 3 stores per day this year. Continue reading
Filed under Financial strategy
US federal court ruled against off-road tires case
US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) ruled, on December 19, 2011, concerning off-road tires case that US Department of Commerce (Commerce) cannot launch countervailing investigation against China as a non-market economy (NME).
Pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 as amended, Commerce may place antidumping duties on imports from a market economy (ME) that Commerce determines are unfairly priced. Under its current practice, Commerce applies countervailing duties in the same manner if it finds that imports illegally gained a price advantage through government subsidies. Antidumping and countervailing duties are added to existing applicable tariffs. In some cases, the United States chooses to recognize China as a market economy, under which it would legally apply anti-dumping and countervailing duties, because MEs cannot legally subsidize their industries under international trade law. But because the United States sometimes treats China as a NME, the court ruled that using the anti-subsidy law against Chinese imports is illegal in all cases. Continue reading
Filed under Legal spotlight
Taiwan launches official Taiwanese food culture website
Taiwanese Government Information Office (GIO) launched a food culture website to promote traditional Taiwanese foods on the world stage. “We hope to eliminate the international community’s misunderstandings of Taiwanese delicacies and for foreigners to learn more about Taiwanese culture through the website, which comes in Chinese, English, French, Japanese and Spanish versions,” GIO Minister Philip Yang said.
In related news, several world-renowned food critics—including Saul Cepeda from Spain, Kanami Egami from Japan, Jennifer Levin and John Mariani, both from the U.S., and Jean-Louis Galesne from France—arrived in Taiwan recently for a one-week food-tasting tour, the GIO said. According to the GIO, the critics visited Ningxia Night Market and a 30-year-old Taiwanese seafood restaurant Nov. 29, with some of the foods they sampled including fried soft-shell crab, oyster omelet, rice with braised pork, stinky tofu and white pomfret rice noodle soup. Continue reading
Filed under Point of interest
Top diplomat of China
Yang Jiechi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, was born in Shanghai in May 1950, a career diplomat, and has PhD in history. He is married with a daughter. His sketchy bio is as below. Continue reading
Filed under Portrait
Are we still in a downward spiral?
Cheming Yang
2011 is winding up with tons of bad news. I am not talking about the loss of Steve Jobs. There will be other Steve Jobs as history proves again and again. But when will the economy get better?
We can say for certain that economy will get better in time. But the earth can wait for millions of years for changes and we human can only wait for our life time. Sure it will not take everyone’s life time to get better. But time is definitely not on our side as opportunities slip away as people age. Continue reading
Filed under Remark from editor
GOLD MONEY TALK 