www.2point6billion.com

India Set to Overtake China, Vietnam and Thailand as World's Top Rice Exporter

2012-05-15 18:09:05

India is expected to overtake China as the world’s largest rice exporter this year as the Indian harvest has had a major boost from both the weather and the government, pushing prices to record highs. Continue reading →

Myanmar to Lift Global Payment Restrictions

2012-05-15 13:57:48

Move will boost ability for businesses to buy and sell May 15 – Myanmar will lift its existing restrictions concerning international payments and transfers by the end of this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, making it easier for businesses to trade in and with the country. The government is expected to finalize the unification of the existing system of multiple exchange rates also by this time, following the Central Bank’s decision to scrap the 35-year-old fixed exchange rate last month. The fixed rate had created a huge black market for U.S. dollars within a country with barely any financial infrastructure.

Report: Economic and Social Survey of Asia-Pacific Region 2012

2012-05-14 14:19:58

The 2012 edition of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific scales down the economic growth of the region to 6.5 percent in 2012, with China and India expanding their economy by 8.6 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively. Continue reading →

China-Philippines Standoff: Territorial Tension in the South China Sea

2012-05-10 19:03:27

The South China Sea continues to act as a regional flashpoint in the Asia Pacific, recently exemplified by the ongoing naval standoff between China and the Philippines. The current standoff began at the beginning of April when the Filipino navy intercepted Chinese fishing vessels in Scarborough Shoal, who they claimed were illegally operating inside of its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Photo: China Daily

Continue reading →

Exit China, Enter India - Expat Transitions: Part IV

2012-05-04 18:34:02

Olaf Griese has spent six years with Dezan Shira & Associates in Shanghai and has just recently relocated to Delhi. In this series of articles, he will detail the differences, as well as the pros and cons, of living in both China and India. This is Part IV: Second-Tier City Beat - From Hangzhou to Pune Continue reading →

Report: 2012 Asia-Pacific Regional Economic Outlook

2012-05-03 17:11:43

The International Monetary Fund released its new Regional Economic Outlook for Asia-Pacific in April, projecting 6 percent regional growth in 2012 and 6.5 percent in 2013. However, by remaining the fastest growing region in the world, Asia-Pacific shares both the upside and downside risks of the global environment. The report cautions on potential challenges and provides possible solutions for Asian countries to gain momentum in economic growth over the course of 2012. Continue reading →

New Issue of DPRK Business Monthly Now Available

2012-05-02 17:07:40

May 2 – The latest issue of DPRK Business Monthly is now available as a complimentary PDF download on the Asia Briefing Bookstore. The regular magazine looks at current international, domestic, and peninsular affairs concerning North Korea while also offering commentary and tourism information on the country. In recent international news, KCNA reported that a regular Rajin-Khassan cargo train service will run from October this year. The railway project was highlighted in the historic DPRK-Russia Moscow Declaration, which was signed in August 2001, according to Kim Chang Sik, a department director of the DPRK Ministry of Railways.

China's Panchen Lama Makes First Speech Outside of Mainland

2012-04-26 21:03:06

Gyaltsen Norbu, the individual that China’s central government has hand-selected as the 11th Panchen Lama, made his first official speech outside of Mainland China on Thursday. Continue reading →

India Passes China as Second-Largest LinkedIn Market

2012-04-25 13:40:33

Apr. 25 – With roughly 14 million users now registered in the country, India has surpassed China as the second largest market for the business-focused social media networking site LinkedIn. LinkedIn has seen its Indian user base grow by more than 300 percent over the three years it has had a marketing presence in the country to where it now only trails the United States, according to LinkedIn Chief Executive Jeff Weiner.

ASEAN and China to Become Top Trade Partners by 2015

2012-04-20 19:50:02

Apr. 20 – When taken together as a group, the combined members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will become China’s top trading partners by 2015, according to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, ASEAN last year overtook Japan as China’s third-largest trading partner with bilateral trade reaching US$362.3 billion. This trailed only China’s trade with the European Union (US$567.2 billion) and the United States (US$446.6 billion).