Hope of solar solution brightens horizon

Beijing and Brussels are expected to reach a compromise this week on the price of China's solar panel exports to Europe after two rounds of tough negotiations.

Happy hours for the van people

Wang Xing runs a small rural inn near Guangzhou, Guangdong province. He's kept the original farmer's house look and serves dishes made from wild vegetables to attract city residents on weekends. "Happy hours at the farmer's", as the business is known, has made him happy too - and it's brought him much more money than growing crops.

Tough times for commodity firms

China's slower pace of commodity imports during the second quarter is likely to continue in the second half of the year, due to weak demand and slower growth.

FDI surges in June

China's foreign direct investment increased the most in more than two years in June despite the economic slowdown, suggesting that global investors are confident about the prospects of the world's second-largest economy amid the new leadership's reforms.

Observers renew call for more yuan flexibility

Experts are calling for a more flexible yuan exchange rate and further opening of the capital account to ease pressure on the country's massive foreign exchange reserves, as China's holdings of United States' government debt hit a record high.

Shanghai green light piques others' interest

Approval for a free-trade zone in Shanghai has inspired confidence and created a sense of urgency in some other coastal cities, notably Tianjin and Shenzhen, which harbor similar ambitions and have equally expansive plans.

Yangtze River Delta region expects boost

For example, there is offshore trading. The purchase of goods, mainly industrial intermediary materials, from an overseas source for use in factories in another overseas market is made possible by the zone, traders say.

Health is wealth

Though China's rapid urbanization is putting a huge strain on the country's healthcare resources, it is also creating opportunities for foreign healthcare providers to sell products and services or provide training for their Chinese counterparts.

Blending East and West

Human resources, training sectors in China can benefit from healthcare cooperation with overseas firms

Quotable

"That was a lesson for us that if you want to be successful in China, you have to focus on China - China's needs and China's customers. So we need a change."

IN BRIEF (Page 18)

China is 3rd biggest M&A player in Africa

China has become the world's third-largest country doing mergers and acquisitions in Africa, favoring the oil and gas sector.