Building bonanza signed and sealed

Tanzanian infrastructure will be greatly improved after major deals in guangzhou.

Enterprising new steps

Simplified procedures for the registration of new companies in China announced recently by the State Council will attract more foreign investment and further stimulate the domestic economy, experts say.

Closest ear may not always be the best

Who would you go to for advice if you were preparing to do a big business deal? Many Westerners, even with bread-and-butter issues like buying houses and planning their retirement, would engage a financial adviser.

Soy imports at new high

Soybean imports are likely to rise to a new high in the 2013-14 market year (September 2013 to August 2014) following a drop in domestic output and greater demand for animal feed and edible oil.

Despite R&D spending, China lags in innovation

China has seen the world's biggest growth in terms of research and development spending over the past year. But it still has a long way to go before its companies lead the world in innovation, a study has found.

Call for oil monopoly to be broken up

China should set up an independent company to operate the oil wholesale business and manage the supply to retailers, industry experts have suggested. That would break up the de facto monopoly of the three state-owned large oil companies, especially the two onshore oil giants, they say.

Corruption inquiry seen as boost to energy sector reform

China's top discipline watchdog said last month that authorities are investigating Jiang Jiemin, the former head of the State assets regulator.

Flag bearer for industrial revolution

China's largest private steel company, Shagang Group, plans to move away from steel as its primary business in as little as three years. The seismic shift being considered by the steel stalwart, unthinkable during the boom a decade ago, is the clearest indication to date of the mounting pressure traditional manufacturing sectors in China are facing to stay viable in a rapidly changing domestic and global market.

Turning a talent grove into a forest

Watch out Zhongguancun, here comes Zhangjiagang.

IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Quotable

"As long as China is determined to embrace the change, instead of being scared of it, it will succeed in transitioning the economy into a third industrial revolution."

Old man river rolls back to the roots

There is something of the river in the old man's voice when he sings, a slow and subtle strength, an undercurrent deep in the baritone that tugs at the heart and gently sets memory adrift.