China has been raising wages over the past decade, and many manufacturers have been contemplating to move to neighboring countries, like Cambodia. But being cheap is not enough for those ASEAN countries to attract production from China, warns author Shaun Rein of The End of Cheap China, in the Phnom Penh Post.Read More →

Japan is quietly trying to repair its relationship with China, as it is not longer sure in the cause of a conflict, it will be backed by the United States, writes the Japan Times. Author Howard French analyses how Japan deals with this new uncertainty in international relations.Read More →

Doubts on whether China is still the place to be for foreign companies are on the rise in media reports, especially now GlaxoSmithKline is on the chop board. Economic analyst Arthur Kroeber believes those headlines are deceiving and he explains in ChinaFile that foreign firm are profitable and want to expand.Read More →

Americans tend to get worried, as China’s economic muscles are strengthening. No reasons, tells business analyst Shaun Rein in the New York Times, in “Room for Debate” the Americans. China is a different kind of power, not alike the US power.Read More →

Obama’s visit to Africa has made clear reporting needs a reset, former Africa and China correspondent Howard French tells in Amsterdamnews. French is the author of the upcoming book China’s Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa. (May 2014)Read More →

US president Obama took along a larger number of business people on his trip to Africa, in an effort to outbid the Chinese success in the continent. Former China and Africa correspondent Howard French sees a positive sign as the US wants to do ready with Africa, but wonders in an interview with Valley Public Radio whether the US are ready for a different Africa.Read More →

A tainted image because of a food scandal is one of the reasons China’s largest pork producer Shuanghui bought America’s largest meat processor Smithfield for US$4.7bn in cash. Shuanghui is trying to upgrade both management and technology, tells business analyst Ben Cavender in the Wall Street Journal.Read More →

As China goes fast global, its citizens try to get adjusted to international manners and customs, from eating with knife and fork to making different noises at the dinner table, Chinese turn massively to international etiquette and manners, tells business analyst Shaun Rein in the Korea Herald.Read More →