A Tale of Two Giants: The Elephant and the Dragon

"China and India are developing countries with vast growth potential. However, amid a liquidity boom, they over-marketed their potential, and nurtured and enjoyed a bubble ride. Their governments felt lucky and hoped that they could grow out of all their problems. Of course, bubbles cover up problems for a time and make them bigger after. As the global liquidity boom unwinds, investors need a better story to stay in emerging markets. Too much money around was good enough before. Now China and India need to convince investors that they can revive growth without a global liquidity boom." Continue reading

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Jim Rogers: China investment opportunities today

"Environmental: 'China is horribly polluted…they are spending staggering amounts of money trying to clean up the pollution.' 'For the next 20 or 30 years, huge amounts of money are going to be spent, and therefore, profits made…somebody’s going to make a lot of money cleaning it up.' Agriculture: 'The Chinese government is spending staggering amounts of money on agriculture. Mao Tse-tung ruined Chinese agriculture, and they know it.' Tourism: 'They've not been able to travel for a few hundred years. Now they can get passports very easily…now they can take money out of the country very easily. One billion three hundred million Chinese! Great opportunities in Chinese tourism.'" Continue reading

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Tufts University: Study promoting GMO ‘golden rice’ violated ethics rules

"Tufts University researchers revealed Tuesday that a member of their team violated ethics rules in a study designed to measure the nutritional efficacy of so-called 'golden rice,' genetically modified rice with the nutrient beta carotene added. No one on Tang’s team saw fit to inform the parents of the 24 children from Hunan province, ages 6 to 8, that the children were eating gene-modified food. Chinese journalists found an email to the research team from a Chinese government official urging scientists not to speak openly of genetic modification, a subject deemed 'too sensitive' to discuss with the families." Continue reading

Continue ReadingTufts University: Study promoting GMO ‘golden rice’ violated ethics rules

Jim Rogers on Financial Globalization and Mining Opportunities

"Mr. Rogers added that China should 'globalize the Renminbi in the next 20 minutes rather than the next 20 years'. He thought that China is currently the world's second largest economic entity as well as the country with most amount of foreign exchange reserve, 'there is no reason to restrict the Renminbi globalization. It is good for all Chinese people, as Renminbi globalization means all investors worldwide can invest in China, which will bring great market opportunities to China's commodities. Stock price in China will rise, China will become the world's center for commodity transaction, China's financial market will be the best in the world." Continue reading

Continue ReadingJim Rogers on Financial Globalization and Mining Opportunities

Jim Rogers warns of world economic slowdown, praises RMB

"Rogers reiterated his optimism on the RMB, describing it as 'the only currency that can compete and replace the U.S. dollar.' A recent BIS report showed that the Chinese yuan has broken into the top 10 of the most traded currencies in the world for the first time. 'I will buy more RMB whenever I can. If anyone wants to sell RMB, come and see me afterwards,' he quipped during his speech. He praised the government's endeavors to make the currency more convertible, but hoped that the pace could be faster. In contrast, Rogers called the U.S. dollar 'flawed' and 'troubled'. However, he still has to own the dollar because people go to the greenback when there is economic turbulence, he said." Continue reading

Continue ReadingJim Rogers warns of world economic slowdown, praises RMB

China Broadcasts “Confession” of Chinese-American Blogger

"Chinese state television on Sunday broadcast a startling video of a famous blogger in handcuffs, renouncing his Web posts and saying how dangerous the Internet would be if left uncontrolled by the government. The 10-minute news report featuring Charles Xue — a Chinese American businessman and one of China’s most popular bloggers — was the latest step in what appears to be asystematic campaign to intimidate online opinion leaders against speaking too freely or critically of the government." Continue reading

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China’s beverage billionaire Zong Qinghou victim of knife attack

"Multi-billionaire Zong Qinghou, China’s second richest man, was attacked and injured by a would-be job applicant wielding a knife, official media said Wednesday. Zong, China’s richest man until he was dethroned last week, is chairman of the country’s leading beverage producer Wahaha Group. Forbes magazine estimates his personal wealth at $11 billion, second only to Wang Jianlin, head of conglomerate Wanda Group, on $14 billion. Zong started his business in 1987 on a tricycle selling soft drinks and ice cream and built Wahaha into one of the top 500 private firms in China, according to the company’s website." Continue reading

Continue ReadingChina’s beverage billionaire Zong Qinghou victim of knife attack

Pepe Escobar: Dogs of war versus the emerging caravan

"Not even the ghost of Machiavelli would come up with an adjective to describe the whole planet waiting in disbelief to see whether the almost universally despised House of Representatives (15% approval rating, according to RealClearPolitics) decides, Roman Empire style, to give the thumbs down and authorize the bombing of one of the oldest cities in humanity (well, they have an illustrious precedent of applauding Shock and Awe over Baghdad, which topped the Mongols going medieval in the 13th century). And all this against the will of the 'American people' who, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll support this folly by an overwhelming 9%. Yes We Bomb. But what for?" Continue reading

Continue ReadingPepe Escobar: Dogs of war versus the emerging caravan

Chinese versus US Arms Transfers to Autocrats and Violators of Human Rights

"An academic article by Paul Midford and Indra de Soysa examines which government supports more autocratic regimes and sends arms into civil wars, China or the U.S. They find that the U.S. does." Continue reading

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Most people expect to be worse off than parents – except U.S., Chinese

"A 'squeezed generation' of middle-aged Europeans are convinced they are going to be poorer in retirement than their parents, according to a global survey that found the Chinese the most confident about their future and the French, Germans and Spanish the most pessimistic. Americans are the most sure they will enjoy their retirement, the British are among the most likely to worry about being lonely, while individuals in Eastern European countries are uniformly morose about their future. In the survey, 43% of Japanese said they associate retirement with 'insecurity' compared to just 13% in China and the US, and 15% in the UK." Continue reading

Continue ReadingMost people expect to be worse off than parents – except U.S., Chinese