China

China loses landmark WTO dispute against EU over market-economy status
24Jun By Walter ParezNo Comments
China, Market

China loses landmark WTO dispute against EU over market-economy status

In a landmark development, China has lost a dispute to the European Union at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for a market economy status, as the former allowed the dispute to lapse.China spent four years fighting for market-economy status, a designation that would give it stronger footing with commercial partners while also curtailing their ability to retaliate over trade disputes.The Chinese government allowed a landmark World Trade Organization dispute — aimed at forcing the European Union to recognize it as a market economy in trade investigations — to lapse on June 15.The case was initially brought in 2016 and China lost an interim ruling on the matter last year.A note by the WTO Secretariat said: "At the request of China, the panel suspended its work on 14 June 2019 (WT/DS516/13). ...
Read More
National Security Law will bring Chinese system to Hong Kong: Report
21Jun By Walter Parez1 Comment
China

National Security Law will bring Chinese system to Hong Kong: Report

The Hong Kong national security legislation will effectively bring China’s legal system to the city and will give power to the Chinese government to apply pending law without the approval of Hong Kong's legislature, say critics.Beijing is yet to confirm the legislation's relevant clauses, however, officials have indicated that those in breach of the law, could be extradited to the mainland for trial."This national security legislation shows that the Communist Party has lost its patience and confidence in 'one country, two systems', as well as the Hong Kong people and our administration," Civic Party opposition lawmaker Tanya Chan said."This is a warning and a reminder to Hong Kong people about who is the boss," Chan said.China says the law is aimed at tackling separatist activity, subversi...
Read More
​ As overseas markets ‘lockdown’, China exporters look inwards
20Jun By Team FPNo Comments
Asia, China, Market

​ As overseas markets ‘lockdown’, China exporters look inwards

China exporters are now left in a crisis as the coronavirus hits its trading partners worldwide leading to cancelled shipments, returned goods and a dearth of new orders - accelerating a long-standing push towards domestic consumption.The world's second-largest economy is stirring back to life after virus cases dwindled from a peak in February, when activity came to a near-halt. But as China’s economy started to recover, lockdowns and restrictions in other countries has forced exporters to focus on domestic markets.Chinese online marketplace Taobao said the number of foreign trading companies opening stores on its domestic-focused platform spiked 160 percent from February to May.And policymakers - who have sought for years to wean the country off cheap exports and government spending in fa...
Read More
Trump administration blacklists dozens of Chinese entities over human rights, military allegations
20Jun By Team FPNo Comments
China

Trump administration blacklists dozens of Chinese entities over human rights, military allegations

The United States Commerce Department on Saturday said that it would add as many as 33 Chinese firms and institutions to an economic blacklist for aiding Beijing spy on China’s Muslim minority groups or for their alleged ties to China's military.The blacklisting came as Communist Party rulers in Beijing on Friday unveiled details of a plan to impose national security laws on Hong Kong.The Trump Administration named nine entities for complicity in alleged human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in western China.The list included seven companies that assist Beijing in high-technology surveillance in the region, the Commerce Department said in a statement.Separately, the Department targeted 24 Chinese commercial and government entities based in China, Hong Kong, and t...
Read More
Singapore needs a certain proportion of foreign workers, say observers
9Jun By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

Singapore needs a certain proportion of foreign workers, say observers

About 90% of Contractor PQ Builders team that does ground construction work are made up of foreigners. The Singaporeans who are part of the team are in supervisory roles.“Bringing in foreign workers is not as cheap as people think”, Peh Ke-Pin owner of the company said.A construction worker typically earns about S$800 a month in basic pay, but each worker costs at least double that.“It’s not that much more expensive to hire a local,” Peh said adding that he is willing to pay between S$2,000 to S$3,000 for a local, but there are still no takers when he puts out the job advertisements.This may be due to the current notion of what construction work entails.Some Singaporeans have said that with higher pay and career advancement, they might consider working in the construction industry, but the...
Read More
Vietnam ratifies free trade deal with European Union
8Jun By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

Vietnam ratifies free trade deal with European Union

Vietnam ratified a free trade agreement with the European Union on Monday that will cut or eliminate 99% of tariffs on goods traded between the Southeast Asian country and the bloc, and provide Vietnam with a much-needed post coronavirus pandemic boost.Deputies in the National Assembly voted by over 94% in favour of the European Union Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).The EVFTA, expected to take effect in July, is the European Union's second deal with a member of the Association of Southeast Asian nations (Asean) after Singapore, and one of few with a developing country.Vietnam will have a transition period of up to 10 years for some imports, such as cars.It will open up Vietnam's services, including post, banking and shipping and public procurement markets, align some standards and pro...
Read More
Iraq confirms full compliance with OPEC crude oil production cuts
7Jun By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

Iraq confirms full compliance with OPEC crude oil production cuts

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil on Saturday reconfirmed its full commitment to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude oil production cuts, saying that all member states should stand unified to revive the oil market.“Iraq reconfirms its full adherence to the agreement out of a firm belief that all member states of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other oil producers should yield to a unified stance in order to revive the oil market, through finding effective solutions to restore its stability and balance,” Oil Ministry Spokesman Assem Jihad said.“Iraq believes in working with a spirit of solidarity with other oil-producing countries in order to restore stability and balance to global oil markets,” he added.Jihad further expressed that Iraq never...
Read More
Philippines’ Duterte threatens to kill drug dealers after big bust
5Jun By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

Philippines’ Duterte threatens to kill drug dealers after big bust

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday threatened to “kill” drug dealers after police seized 756kg of methamphetamines."If you destroy my country distributing 5.1 billion pesos worth of shabu... I will kill you," Duterte said in recorded address, referring to the drugs.The crystal methamphetamine, with a Philippine market value at 5.1 billion pesos (S$142.71 million), was one of the biggest seizures since Duterte unleashed his war on drugs.He did not say where the drugs were believed to have come from but said the Philippines was a “transshipment centre for Mexican drugs gangsters”.Duterte also hurled insults at human rights groups for criticizing his anti-narcotics campaign.In a report released on Thursday, the United Nations have said that tens of thousands of people in the Phili...
Read More
COVID-19 outbreak: Leaked document contradicts China’s official stand on Wuhan wet market
5Jun By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

COVID-19 outbreak: Leaked document contradicts China’s official stand on Wuhan wet market

A recent investigative report on Wednesday claimed that novel coronavirus did not originate from China’s Wuhan market, saying that the earliest documented patient was not connected to the market.As per the report, scientists still haven’t determined the virus’s origin. U.S. officials, citing intelligence, said the virus was likely naturally occurring, but may have leaked from a virology research lab in Wuhan.According to latest estimates by Johns Hopkins University, more than 6.5 million cases of Covid-19 have been reported worldwide, including at least 388,000 deaths. In US alone, more than 1.8 million coronavirus cases have been recorded, including at least 108,000 deaths.Chinese authorities have repeatedly refused offers of assistance from the United States and other countries in resear...
Read More
OCBC to cut salary credit bonus interest on 360 account from July 1
3Jun By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
China

OCBC to cut salary credit bonus interest on 360 account from July 1

Amid a weakened interest rate environment and a challenging macro climate, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) Bank on Monday announced that it will reduce the salary credit bonus interest for customers on the OCBC 360 savings account from July 1.For balances up to $35,000, the salary credit bonus interest will be halved to 0.6 per cent, down from the current 1.2 per cent. Balances between $35,000 and $70,000 will earn 1.2 per cent interest, down from 2.4 per cent.The base interest is calculated at the end of each day, based on the daily balance and credited to the 360 account at the end of the month.The bank will also stop offering the credit card spend bonus interest - currently at 0.2 per cent for the first $35,000 and 0.4 per cent for the next $35,000 - on the 360 account from J...
Read More