Economy & Trade

Based on a UBS report of global prices and earnings, we present a comparison of China and India’s wages and salaries. We find that low-skilled worker wages are lower in India, while high-skilled worker wages are closer to being equal.

In this issue of Asia Briefing Magazine, we break down the various types of development zones available in China, India and Vietnam specifically, as well as their key characteristics and leading advantages. We then go on to provide a snapshot of the latest development zones across the rest of Asia.

May 6 – After various rounds of heated discussions and a 20-day standoff, the Chinese battalion that set up camp near the line of actual control (LAC) 19 kilometers into the Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector of Ladakh, India, has withdrawn and pulled out of India. Both sides withdrew and returned to their respective pre-incursion […]

Hopes are rising that the proposed India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) may finally be signed off next month after five years of talks. Another window for reaching consensus may not come around again for some time.

Recently, a third round of talks at the Brigadier-level between the Indian Army and a Chinese battalion has failed, with the Chinese side objecting to “infrastructure developments on the Indian side.”

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.

In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we examine how India’s accounting standards differ from the globally accepted IFRS and IAS protocols, and why it is important to be aware of such discrepancies. We also outline the standard steps an auditor will go through during the audit process.

Analysts at the World Bank have predicted a moderate acceleration in regional growth in Asia. A revival in global demand over the course of next year will be the predominant contributing factor, as long as China’s re-accelerating growth is maintained and the high 2012 growth rates of other regional countries.

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.