Region

Apr. 29 – China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released the “White Paper on Intellectual Property Rights Protection (2012)” (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Paper’) on April 22, which summarizes the progress China has made in promoting and implementing the national intellectual property strategy in 2012. Detailed information can be found below. Overall Situation In 2012, […]

Apr. 29 – The leaders of the ASEAN countries converged in Brunei Darussalam last week for the 22nd summit of the regional grouping. On top of the agenda was further facilitation of the economic integration process that aims to unite the countries in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. Furthermore, the summit also sought […]

Singapore is Asia’s regional financial, services and, as the world’s largest port, shipping hub. Due to not having the land capacity, Singapore has partnered with both Indonesia and Malaysia to provide development zones for international businesses.

Apr. 25 – A Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) platoon has entered 10km into Indian territory in the Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in Ladakh, located at an altitude of approximately 17,000 feet. The incursion occurred on the night of April 15th, when the PLA established a tented post there. As a result of the […]

International businesses looking to trade beneficially with Asia would do well to domicile in Singapore, while Hong Kong would be preferable for those that wish to concentrate on China. Today, however, there is no shortage of companies that use both locations in their corporate structure.

Apr. 22 – Partly spurred by the importance of China-ASEAN trade, last week Singaporean Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew met his China counterpart, Yang Chuantang, to discuss cooperation on transport and other issues of mutual interest. China’s trade with ASEAN, of which Singapore is the financial and services hub, topped US$400 billion last year. Minister Yang […]

Apr. 22 – Scientists at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) near Manila are currently in the process of perfecting a strain of salt-tolerant rice for wider field testing. The scientists have successfully bred a variety of rice that is salt-tolerant, which could enable farmers to reclaim coastal areas rendered useless by sea water and […]

Apr. 16 – In an effort to combat inflation and prevent any outbreaks of labor unrest, ASEAN countries have increasingly been following China’s strategy of pushing for higher minimum wage levels and enacting new labor laws which greater protect workers’ rights. Many countries also see minimum wage increases as an opportunistic method of raising the […]

By Sondre Ulvund Solstad Apr. 12 – The ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA) entered into force on March 29, 2012, aiming to create a free and open investment environment through the consolidation and expansion of existing agreements between the ASEAN member countries. In replacing its two precursors, the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) and ASEAN Investment […]

Apr. 11 – Singapore-Myanmar economic ties were further bolstered this week thanks to the opening of International Enterprise (IE) Singapore’s Overseas Center in Yangon, Myanmar. The center opened during the Singapore-Myanmar Business Forum with support from the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI). In […]