Vol. 11 No. 11, December 2003
Index
- China fears spur Japan trade deal push.
- Open economy to help democracy: Chinese Premier.
- Word of mouth.
- China needs at least one trillion yuan ($163 billion) to help the country's largest state-owned banks reduce bad loans and prepare them for domestic share sales, according to Fitch Ratings.
- Japan said talks would begin in early 2004 with Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines on eliminating import tariffs and other trade barriers agreements.
- Job hunt.
- Malaysia said a record US$3.8 billion railway project will probably be postponed amid protests from China and India over the award of contracts to Malaysia Mining Corp. and Gamuda Bhd.
- North Korea said Japan's attempts to put spy satellites into orbit is evidence it wants to become a "military giant" and expand overseas.
- South Korea said it plans to use part of its foreign-exchange reserves--the fourth highest in the world--to create a state-controlled overseas-investment fund and boost returns on its holdings.
- The Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency, formed five years ago to manage distressed assets seized from state banks, has recovered a total of 163 trillion rupiah ($25.9 billion).
- Tiger Airways, the proposed discount carrier 49 per cent owned by Singapore Airlines expects to be profitable in its first year of operations, interim chief executive Charlie Clifton said.
- Export optimists Australia's export outlook for 2004: the majority of Australia's exporters are bullish about trade growth in 2004, a new survey has found.
- Singapore back on the rise.
- 40th anniversary awards dinner.
- New service aims to support Australian exporters seeking talented staff.
- The ballad of exportise 2003: modern day poet Rupert McCall, who was this year's host at the gala Australian Export Awards ceremony held in Sydney, penned the work below as a tribute to Australia's exporters, McCall read the poem during the Awards ceremony and was met with rapturous applause.
- Challenges for Korea's growth engines: in the third of a series of articles focusing on South Korea, Sarah Hill * examines the challenges facing the nation as it strives to reinvent its economy.