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Investor confidence in the Chinese property market is extremely low ahead of news of further regulations to “curb the exuberance in the housing markets.”  Housing prices will apparently take a major hit once these regulations take place that will help shape the housing market that has gotten out of control in Chinese cities.  One of… Continue reading Uncertainty Pushes China’s Property Stocks Down →

A consulting firm called the Rhodium Group recently released a report that looked at China’s CO2 emissions, energy trends, and energy policies.  China is in the process of implementing its 12th Five Year Plan, which set a variety of energy emission reduction targets, including curbing CO2 output.  The plan began in 2011 and concludes in… Continue reading China’s Energy Report →

As we are going through Dunne’s book, this would be very appropriate. This January, GM saw record sales in China, being the “best month ever in the country”. 310,765 GM cars were sold in a single month, a 16% increase from its previous “record month”. Among these, 154,200 were sold in Shanghai alone (Bomey). Now,… Continue reading Current GM in China →

Michael Dunne has an article on electric cars in China in the Feb 21 WSJ China blog.

The most recent post on Danwei, a website with translations from the Chinese web, focuses on villages populated almost entirely by the elderly. One is Visions of Dying Village Life. Another talks of visiting where the old village men hang out to find it empty, with his father by himself now that most of his… Continue reading Danwei project on (ageing) migrant villages →

In the article “China Asks Companies to Mind Environment When Investing Overseas” from bloomberg news, it is clear that China is beginning to realize the impact that their growing economy is having on the global environment. This has come after recent criticism of China for neglecting the Environment and allowing pollution to spiral out of… Continue reading China’s Government Cracks Down on Environmental Protection →

In Shanghai, city officials are now beginning to look at preservation of buildings and locations to keep Chinese history alive.  This is an interesting movement in a city known for modernity in China and where history has previously been razed to put up skyscrapers.  Real estate is of high value in Shanghai and preservation of… Continue reading Shanghai starts search for its heritage →

In light of unprecedented pollution levels in Beijing, the Chinese government announced plans last week to introduce a carbon tax with the goal of curbing emissions.  The Xinhua news agency also reported the government will implement an environmental protection tax. While the country is one of the largest contributors to global pollution, the introduction of… Continue reading China to introduce carbon tax →

While watching the movie in class today I found several points interesting. The topic of interest which struck me most was the lack of concern for the physical health of the mine employees. The orator of the movie failed to comment on employer concern for employees exposure to respiratory coal dust which can cause pulmonary… Continue reading Mine Safety →

Issues concerning the EU and Chinas relationship in the solar industry have have increased economic tensions to a point that many fear an oncoming trade war. Since Chinese solar panels cost nearly 45 percent less than solar panels made in the EU, the EU has a market which sales are a continual battle against sales… Continue reading Potential Tariff War between China and EU →

Two recent articles written by cbsnews and Bloomberg discuss KFC’s intentions of launching a campaign to rebuild its brand in China. The campaign follows December allegations that a former chicken supplier was found to supply meat with high levels of antibiotics to Chinese chains. YUM Brands Inc., which owns the company, has promised to enforce… Continue reading KFC Launches Campaign to Rebuild Image in China →

A team of economists at Shanghai University recently published an assessment of the merit-based promotion system for Party and government officials.  The group looked at the effect of organization management on incentives for cadres to invest in transportation infrastructure (GDP boosting) or environmental improvements. As pollution levels remain high, from air to water, what are… Continue reading Government Promotion and Economic Investment: Green vs. Infrastructure →

Peter Hessler has a story in the latest National Geographic, revisiting a town in which he lived in 1996. He therein provides a sense of how rural areas have evolved over the past 15-odd years. For Country Driving, see here and here and herelinks for Sancha including photos of the Wei family. If you visit… Continue reading Sancha and Lishui →

Could North Korea’s nuclear test last week be the final straw before the international community takes more serious action against the rogue regime? Chinese resistance to tougher sanctions has weakened past efforts to dissuade Pyongyang from testing nuclear capabilities, but Beijing may be shying away from their longtime ally. In the weeks preceeding the test,… Continue reading N. Korea thumbs nose at China →

Chinese and Japanese navies have engaged in yet another case of saber-rattling over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands. Although it is unlikely that the issue will escalate further in the near future, the ambiguous political climate and lack of resolve to truly resolve the dispute has led to a further straining of relationships between the two nations. In the face… Continue reading Diaoyu/Senkaku →