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This is Part XIII of our ongoing Letters from America to Asia Series, featuring opinions and observations on America’s trade relations with China and emerging Asia from Chris Devonshire-Ellis. Apr. 10 – I’ve attended two prominent annual U.S.-Asia investment events this past week, namely the Hot Markets Watch in Cincinnati, and the Asia-Pacific Business Outlook […]

In this issue of China Briefing Magazine, we focus on the regulatory issues affecting cross-border M&As, and the key tax points foreign investors should be aware of when conducting M&As involving domestic Chinese companies. We also address the key aspects of transfer pricing, corporate restructuring exemption, and valuation as they relate to M&As.

Apr. 9 – While Hong Kong has been on a double taxation agreement (DTA) signing spree in the past few years, Singapore is the Asian queen of DTAs, boasting 69 comprehensive DTAs, roughly triple that of Hong Kong. In 2011 alone, Hong Kong’s DTAs with Austria, Ireland, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and […]

Apr. 4 – On March 26, the BRICS group of emerging nations (which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) passed the Cooperative Framework for BRICS in Trade and Investment (hereinafter referred to as the “Framework”) during the Third Economic and Trade Ministerial Meeting in Durban, South Africa. The Framework intends to promote […]

Apr. 3 – The European Union (EU) has been a key trade partner for many Asian countries over the last decade. This trend is likely to continue as over 90 percent of world demand is generated outside the EU, causing the organization to reach out and negotiate free trade agreements (FTAs) with key Asian countries. […]

Mar. 29 – The fifth annual BRICS summit concluded in Durban, South Africa, on Wednesday with the big news being the announcement of a BRICS development bank and a currency stabilizing mechanism. The leaders of the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – expressed their intent to sign an agreement to […]

China will house about 200 million people above 60 years in 2015, and workers coming to retirement age are expected to add an unprecedented 10 million retirees per annum to that figure. India, however, is poised to provide the vast bulk of the global labor pool. By 2020, the average Indian worker will be 29, while the average Chinese will be 37.

Mar. 27 – China and Brazil have signed an agreement on a swap line allowing them to trade approximately US$30 billion of goods per annum in their own currencies. This move will cut their current bilateral usage of the United States (U.S.) dollar as a trading currency in half. The agreement, which is expected to […]

China’s continuing evolution can perhaps best be explained in a re-calibration of the popular opinion at the turn of the century that the 2000s will belong to China, much like the 1800s were dominated by the British Empire and the 1900s saw America’s rise to prominence. No, the 21st Century will more aptly be headlined as “Asia’s Century,” and although China will very much be a part of that, other countries in the region will be too.

Mar. 25 – The BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are expected to establish a development bank to pool funds to capitalize an infrastructure-focused lender at their communal meeting in Durban tomorrow. It is argued that the established players in this field – the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the […]