When is reform of a Chinese state-owned enterprise not reform at all? When it’s not going to create value

SOE this is what passes for reform?

David Keohane

| Apr 14 14:29 | Comment | Share

When is reform of a Chinese state-owned enterprise not reform at all? Read more of this post

Yangtze River Delta becomes epicentre for China credit risk

Yangtze River Delta becomes epicentre for China credit risk

3:05am IST

By Gabriel Wildau

SUZHOU China (Reuters) – Suzhou, an ancient city in Jiangsu province 100 km (60 miles) west of Shanghai, lives in legend as one of China’s most beautiful, famous for its elegant gardens and charming canals. Read more of this post

Missing Suharto yet? Nostalgia mounts in Indonesia as democracy fails to protect Indonesians from the worst excesses of capitalism

Updated: Tuesday April 15, 2014 MYT 6:45:26 AM

Missing Suharto yet?

BY KARIM RASLAN

Nostalgia mounts in Indonesia as democracy fails to protect Indonesians from the worst excesses of capitalism.

THE dust is still settling over last week’s legislative elections in Indonesia. Pundits are still mulling over the “whys” and “how’s” of the results. Read more of this post

Chinese firms could have locked up as much as 1,000 tonnes of gold in financing deals, an industry report said, indicating a big a slice of imports has been used to raise funds due to tight credit conditions, rather than to meet consume

Updated: Tuesday April 15, 2014 MYT 12:15:54 PM

China may have 1,000 tonnes of gold tied in financing: WGC

A customer looks at a golden figurine on display for sale at a department store in Beijing. In China, imported gold is being used via gold loans and letters of credit to raise low-cost funds for business investment and speculation, says the World Gold Council – Reuters Photo. Read more of this post

Only 1 in 7 Japanese scientists are women: Study

Only 1 in 7 Japanese scientists are women: Study

Tuesday, April 15, 2014 – 13:19

AFP

TOKYO – Just a seventh of scientists in Japan are female, government figures show – the lowest rate of any developed nation, despite being a record high for the country. Read more of this post

Temasek’s dealmaking reflects big bets on rise of the consumer

Last updated: April 14, 2014 7:25 pm

Temasek’s dealmaking reflects big bets on rise of the consumer

By Jeremy Grant in Singapore

From toothpaste and shampoo in China to instant noodles and tomato paste in Africa, Temasek is betting big on growth in an emerging middle class – a significant shift for Singapore’s $171bn national investment agency, long known for its emphasis on the financial sector.

Read more of this post

Buffett derivatives, just ignore the volatility

Buffett derivatives, just ignore the volatility

Dan McCrum | Apr 14 16:44 | Comment | Share

Part of the BUFFETT DERIVATIVES SERIES

There’s an old Russian proverb, popularised by Ronald Reagan, which comes up among due diligence types: trust, but verify. Read more of this post

Is ‘smart beta’ the latest magic money tree? Returns could decline as more money flows into the strategies

April 14, 2014 8:30 am

Is ‘smart beta’ the latest magic money tree?

By Pauline Skypala

Returns could decline as more money flows into the strategies

Investors are always on the lookout for a magic money tree. The latest candidate for that label has been dubbed “smart beta”, although some would argue it fits neither of those descriptions. Read more of this post

Chinese munis will help curb shadow banks; Beijing to hasten launch of municipal bond market

April 15, 2014 6:38 am

Chinese munis will help curb shadow banks

By Henny Sender

Beijing to hasten launch of municipal bond market

It is never a good idea to have an overdeveloped capital market, as is the case in the US. Nor is it a good idea to have an under-developed capital market, as is the case in China. But at least governments can address the former more easily than the latter. Read more of this post

China engineers ‘Potemkin defaults’ to mask debt reality; Beijing wants market discipline without halting growth

April 14, 2014 11:46 am

China engineers ‘Potemkin defaults’ to mask debt reality

By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing

Beijing wants market discipline without halting growth

In the past two months, China has suffered its first domestic bond default in recent history and a series of small bankruptcies that have some investors fretting the country could face its very own “Lehman moment”. Read more of this post

The Fragile Middle: China’s migrant workers test urbanisation drive; One in five Chinese only a wage away from losing middle-class status

April 14, 2014 4:04 pm

The Fragile Middle: China’s migrant workers test urbanisation drive

By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing

Xu Bo has worked in a construction gang in Beijing for four years, helping build the city apartments and skyscrapers that symbolise China’s urban transformation. Read more of this post

Regulators Weigh Curbs on Trading Fees; SEC Officials Consider Testing ‘Maker-Taker’ Plans

Regulators Weigh Curbs on Trading Fees

SEC Officials Consider Testing ‘Maker-Taker’ Plans

SCOTT PATTERSON And ANDREW ACKERMAN

April 14, 2014 7:08 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—A fee system that is a major source of revenue for exchanges and some high-frequency trading firms is coming under the heightened scrutiny of regulators concerned that market prices are being distorted, according to top Securities and Exchange Commission officials. Read more of this post

Housing Trouble Grows in China; Overbuilding by Real-Estate Developers Leaves Smaller Cities With Glut of Apartments

Housing Trouble Grows in China

Overbuilding by Real-Estate Developers Leaves Smaller Cities With Glut of Apartments

BOB DAVIS and

ESTHER FUNG

April 14, 2014 10:30 p.m. ET

CHANGZHOU, China— Wu Xuesong, a professor in this city on the Yangtze, says he doubled his money on an apartment he bought as an investment some years back and is ahead on a second.

Read more of this post

Stock Pickers Get Turn To Shine; New that markets are no longer moving in lock step, corporate fundamentals, and the ability to pick stocks, are becoming more important

Stock Pickers Get Turn To Shine

FRANCESCO GUERRERA

Updated April 14, 2014 11:11 p.m. ET

First it was Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. Now it is markets and the Federal Reserve that are engaged in “conscious uncoupling.” Read more of this post

Wal-Mart Cries Foul on China Fines; Company Says Safety Burden Unfairly Falls on Retailers, Rather Than Manufacturers

Wal-Mart Cries Foul on China Fines

Company Says Safety Burden Unfairly Falls on Retailers, Rather Than Manufacturers

LAURIE BURKITT in Beijing And SHELLY BANJO in New York

Updated April 13, 2014 8:38 p.m. ET

China’s government is stepping up the regulation of food manufacturers and retailers. The WSJ’s Deborah Kan speaks with David Ettinger from law firm Keller and Heckman about the latest changes in China’s food standards.

Read more of this post

Education and India’s Jobs Crisis

Apr 14, 2014

Education and India’s Jobs Crisis

RAYMOND ZHONG and SAPTARISHI DUTTA

Ram Singh knows basic arithmetic, Hindi and elementary English. But he regrets leaving school early. Read more of this post

Beijing’s Bad-Air Days, Finally Counted

Apr 14, 2014

Beijing’s Bad-Air Days, Finally Counted

Thanks to the U.S. State Department, Beijing residents finally have the answer to one of the city’s greatest mysteries: How often is the air polluted?

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Asia Joins Trend Toward Floating-Rate Bonds; Issuance at Fastest Pace on Record to Catch U.S. Demand

Asia Joins Trend Toward Floating-Rate Bonds

Issuance at Fastest Pace on Record to Catch U.S. Demand

FIONA LAW

April 14, 2014 12:51 a.m. ET

To take advantage of demand from U.S. investors worried about rising interest rates, Asian companies are changing the way they raise cash, selling floating-rate debt at the fastest pace on record. Read more of this post

A nationwide manhunt for an outspoken radio commentator accused of threatening the country’s king expanded and has rekindled one of Thailand’s most flammable disputes: the role of its monarchy

Hunt for Thai Radio Personality Grows

Ko Tee Accused of Threatening King Bhumibol

JAMES HOOKWAY

Updated April 14, 2014 7:11 p.m. ET

BANGKOK—A nationwide manhunt for an outspoken radio commentator accused of threatening the country’s king expanded Monday and has rekindled one of Thailand’s most flammable disputes: the role of its monarchy. Read more of this post