Despite Sudanese oil dispute, big investment tap remains on

Chinese investment in Sudan is a valuable mediation tool for regional stability and a boost to local economic development, a senior official from Sudan's leading political party said recently in Beijing.

Wisdom from oracles of shopping

As more Chinese consumers become aware of the wider range of shopping choices available to them, some business people are seeing a market for independent advice that can help shoppers decide where to spend their money.

Why the customer remains king

If you think the adage "the customer is always right" is a no-brainer, you may be surprised to know how many businesses have not learned that lesson and how seriously not doing so damages their long-term profitability.

New frontiers, no easy money

State auto groups in China used to sit back and harvest the easy money from joint-venture brands, but as the domestic market cools and their ambitions grow, international markets have become a greener pasture.

Foreign companies eye new 'opening-up'

Over the past three decades, many foreign companies set up manufacturing facilities in China because of the country's low labor costs, turning the world's most populous nation into a global factory.

Testing ground for development

China's rapid urbanization has provided an ideal market for the world's pioneering technologies on urban solutions to develop and commercialize in the country before being launched globally.

Humans at the center of the urban maze

Heavier emphasis on science in architecture will improve the way China's urbanization works, British expert says

Quotable

"China's economy will transform from an economy emphasizing quantity to one emphasizing quality ... Without quality, people can hardly benefit from economic growth, and economic growth is part of building a strong China."

IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Dialogue brings local officials face to face

Eleven agreements and letters of intent have been signed between Shandong province in East China and African local governments, covering infrastructure projects, minerals and agriculture.

Logistics project of the century

A project to build a 286-kilometer canal traversing Nicaragua has been initiated by a Chinese company in what could be the most significant global logistics ventures of the 21st century. It is expected to rival the Panama Canal and boost China's energy and resource imports from the Americas when it is completed in 2020.

China seen as FDI land of promise

China moved up from sixth place to third in outward foreign direct investment last year, after the United States and Japan, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development says.