Who in Asia Can Afford a U.S. Default?
Op-Ed Commentary: Chris Devonshire-Ellis Oct. 14 – As China becomes increasingly shrill in its condemnation of the prospect of a U.S. default, an interesting question begins to arise – which Asian economies could withstand such an event? Xinhua, China’s official government news agency, said that as American politicians continued to flounder over a deal to […]
Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement By Year End?
TPP could be slimmed down to get it off the ground Op-Ed Commentary: Chris Devonshire-Ellis BALI, Oct. 9 – The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement – touted by Washington as a trade pact that excludes China but includes the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Chile, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Vietnam – has also […]
America Loses Its Asian Mojo
Is America losing its Asian mojo? While China has announced a trade goal of US$1 trillion with Asia by 2020, United States President Obama has cancelled his long planned attendance to the primary U.S.-Asia focused event of the year – APEC.
China to Allow Greater Tolerance of “Traditional Faiths”
Oct. 1 – According to sources closely tied to the government, Chinese President Xi Jinping is concerned with his countries moral decline and obsession with money, and has been further promoting China’s three traditional faiths – Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism – in the hope that they can counter societal corruption. The sources have told Reuters […]
Selling to China & India’s Middle Class – It’s a Vietnam Manufacturing Play
China is no longer the powerhouse of manufacturing that is once was. The reasons for this shift and the growing importance of Vietnam and India are examined in this article.
The Pan-Asia Indicator
Chris Devonshire-Ellis, founding partner of Dezan Shira & Associates, has spent close to 30 years in Asia and travels extensively around the region looking at where the new opportunities for foreign investments lie. Here is his annual quick round up concerning Asian nations and their immediate opportunities and problems.
Singapore Tightens Employment Rules for Foreigners
Sept. 24 – The Singapore government today announced rules that will require companies operating in the country to consider Singaporeans for skilled job vacancies before turning to candidates from abroad. Commencing August 2014, firms with more than 25 employees must advertise a vacancy for professional or managerial jobs paying less than S$12,000 (US$9,605) a month […]
Singapore and the EU Finalize Free Trade Agreement Draft
Singapore and the European Union (EU) have finalized the draft for their free trade agreement, the first such agreement between the EU and any Southeast Asian nation. The agreement seeks to increase market access between the two nations by liberalizing trade through the removal of tariff and technical barriers.
Asia Pacific Attracts Clinical Research, Drug Development
Sept. 23 – The Asia market represents a significant opportunity for clinical research organizations (CROs) – organizations that provide outsourced medical-related research on a contract basis – after about 30 percent of total Asia Pacific clinical expenditures having been outsourced to such organizations over the past year. Over the next five years, the CRO industry […]
Singapore Bourse Attracts Foreign Companies
Sept. 16 – The Japanese firm Xyec Holdings announced plans this month to raise capital on the Singapore Exchange’s (SGX) Catalist board. Xyec, an IT and manufacturing-focused holdings company, will be the first Japanese firm to list exclusively in Singapore, bypassing its own domestic stock market completely. Singapore and other ASEAN countries have increasingly seen […]