African road to growth

At a time when foreign automakers are planning to further consolidate their presence in China, their Chinese counterparts are looking to boost exports to newer destinations such as Africa and Russia this year.

On the frontline of development

Chinese companies have a key role to play in ensuring sustainable development in Africa and in helping the continent tackle challenges such as poverty and unemployment, experts say.

Smart operator reaps rewards

Twenty-two years ago when Xu Zhiming started a small workshop sewing clothes in Zhuji, Zhejiang province, he saw his future close to home.

Ginger city snaps into shape

The Romans paid premium prices for it when they imported it from China. Two thousand years later, the whole world has come to recognize the culinary and medicinal qualities of ginger, still mostly sourced from the land of the Han.

Big reward for small farmers

Liu Zhengming's newly built farmhouse is equipped with all the electrical appliances and mod-cons you would find in a city household.

Quotable

"I think the luxury market has reached its peak in China, but because of its immense size it will be maintained for a while."

IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Nigerian oil bill aimed at long-term investors

Africa's biggest oil producer seeks balance between its profits and benefits to emerging markets such as China.

All is well on the inflation front

China's consumer price index grew 2.5 percent year on year in December, and 2.6 percent for the whole of 2013, well below the government's full-year target of 3.5 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Jan 9.

Local debt surges to nearly $3 trillion

The result of the most thorough audit of the nation's local government debt at the end of last year offered a sense of relief as well as worry to global investors.

New bonds approved for old debt

The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, will allow bond swaps in an effort to avoid defaults in local government-created separate investment agencies.

Art of doing business the Chinese way

Ambitious Chinese youngsters have long sought to learn from Western economic theories and best practices. Why don't they tap into wisdom closer to home?