Full Contents - September 2006

Shoppers flock back to Ginza
Japan's economic resurgence and consumer rebound is good news for Asia. But what does Tokyo's renewed appetite for foreign acquisitions mean for China?
Dragon herds the paper tigers
A twin-pronged commercial and diplomatic strategy is boosting China's influence in Southeast Asia and breathing life into the economies of Cambodia, Laos and Burma
Waking up to the waking giant
After the turbulence of textiles, thwarted oil takeovers and Europe mulling an end to the arms embargo, Congress is finally doing its homework on China
The plot thickens
Recent measures restricting foreign investment in real estate may well succeed in cooling the market - but they will not cure it of all its ills
Out in the cold
A string of anti-dumping actions against China by the US, the EU and Japan have left Beijing desperate to escape non-market economy status

An unholy union
Moves to unionize Wal-Mart's China stores could ultimately see Beijing cast a tighter net over foreign companies operating in the country

Looking at alternatives
Fuel ethanol is already used in five provinces and Beijing seems ready to bankroll a nationwide roll-out. But is a bio-fuel mix a viable alternative to gasoline?
Walking a fine line
The economy may be red hot, but China's leadership has little appetite for a slowdown. A finely-tuned rebalancing is required
Ticket to Paradise
Gome's move for China Paradise is a step towards consolidation - and a means of countering the long-term threat of US giant Best Buy
Pricing people
Keeping factory workers happy takes more than just a job. In the current market, perks like air conditioning and basketball courts are part of doing business

PUNDITRY / China's moderate urbanization
From "Exposing China's 'Urban Legends'" by UBS Asia Chief Economist Jonathan Anderson, August 9, 2006:

QUESTION & ANSWER / It's in the words
As China's financial sector becomes ever more internationally-flavored, domestic bankers are relying on foreign trainers to hone their communication skills
REVIEW / School's in
The foreign-dominated market for language training in China is on a roll - but as it grows, it is being forced to deal with a lack of basic building blocks

That's the way it is
The rain had fallen in day-long deluges across eastern China for much of the previous two weeks and the Phoenix Reservoir in Hubei province was much fuller than when I had left it. There was a typhoon out in the East China Sea somewhere, and the air had a muggy closeness, although there was no sign of the thunderstorms predicted on weather.com.

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW / Energy: quenching China's thirst
China's rapidly growing economy is pushing energy consumption to new highs as the increasingly affluent populous plugs in and turns on more appliances than ever, adding to the high-voltage factory hum that has long characterized the country's modernization efforts.

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