Author: bednart15

Chinese trade data were below expectations for November. Exports grew by 4.7% instead of the expected 8.2% growth rate. During the same time, imports to China fell by 6.7%. This combination of slow, but still growing exports and lowered imports increased the trade surplus to $54.4 billion, the highest it has been in more than… Continue reading Slower Trade for China →

Along with China’s rapid urbanization has come a rush for housing in Chinese cities. While construction struggles to keep up with demand (although certain housing projects sit empty), existing housing prices have skyrocketed. One side effect of this price effect has been to drive rural migrants into the ground or, more accurately, underground. Until 2010,… Continue reading Living Underground →

Photo Credit The Economist “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” This week the Economist had an incredible cover-featured story on the APEC summit and relationship of the United States and China. One of the most notable observations was that the entire region of the Pacific Rim “has become too prosperous and too complex for the ocean to be… Continue reading A Power Play Across the Pacific →

During the meeting of national leaders prior to and during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing, President Obama and President Xi Jinping announced a deal between the United States and China to cut greenhouse gas emissions by their respective countries. Under the pledge, the United States will cut emissions by 26-28% from… Continue reading An Environment Agreement (?) →

A grave robber and two provincial Chinese officials were arrested last month for taking corpses from graves in order to meet the cremation quota for each region, set by the government in Beijing. Cremation runs in direct contradiction to the tradition of Chinese burial that allows for ancestor worship. Beijing has put the policy of… Continue reading Officials Collude with a Graverobber →

On China’s Singles’ Day, akin to the U.S.’s Cyber Monday, Alibaba made of $9.3 billion in sales in 278 million orders. Not only is that an astronomical number for a single company in a 24 hour time period, but it also means that potentially one quarter of China’s population made a purchase from Alibaba that… Continue reading Singles’ Day Makes Cyber Monday Look Like Chump Change →

The U.S. retailer Costco has announced that it will enter the Chinese market through Alibaba. The company will offer access to consumer goods and its Kirkland generic brand through the platform known as “T Mall.” Not only will access to the Chinese market provide a new and different type of consumer base, but could help boost… Continue reading Costco Caters to Chinese →

Based on new IMF economic projections, China has now overtaken the United States as the world’s biggest economy. This revised projection moves up the point of overtaking the U.S. by at least two year (previous estimates had only been as early as 2016). The large caveat on the news is that the projections are based on… Continue reading China’s Economy Has Overtaken the United States, Maybe →

Over the weekend, pro-democracy protests occurred in the city of Hong Kong, with protesters demanding truly free and democratic elections for the leader of the city in 2017. This follows Beijing’s announcement that candidates will be vetted before being allowed to run, raising concerns of a limited set of candidates that will not represent the… Continue reading Hong Kong Gaining Attention →