finance-worldwide

Beware of Booby traps in Emerging Markets

By: Sam Subramanian PhD, MBA

Year 2009 has been a good one for investors in emerging markets. Since bottoming on November 20, 2008, the MSCI Barra Emerging Market Index is up 84%. Equity prices in Brazil, Russia, India, and China or the BRIC nations are up a higher 93%.

Off-late, equity prices in Eastern Europe are up strongly and trying to catch up with other emerging markets. During the past three months, the MSCI Barra Eastern Europe (excluding Russia) Index is up 28%. This exceeds the 18% and 20% gains scored by equities in emerging markets and BRIC nations, respectively.

And, as emerging markets continue to rake in gains, calls for U. S. investors to invest overseas are growing louder. The underlying rationale is that prospects for economic growth in such markets are superior to those in the U. S. and such markets may be immune to the credit crisis.
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Performa Invoice and Commercial Invoice

By: sinolinkconsulting

Many foreign investors get confused by different invoices at their early stage in China market. The invoice, printed and issued by a company is the so called “Performa Invoice” while the official invoice printed by Chinese tax authorities is call “Fapiao” in China. Only the Fapiao is directly related with tax payment and could be used for bookkeeping, accounting, tax deduction, and tax rebate purposes.

In foreign trade, the seller usually provides two kinds of invoices to the buyer, Performa Invoice and Commercial Invoice. The Performa Invoice is equivalent to the contract between buyer and seller, which is mainly used for executing the respective rights and obligations of both parties. Commercial invoice is commonly related to the tax and customs clearance. These two invoices are opened separately for they have different roles and functions. The Performa invoice usually is issued earlier than the commercial invoice. This article will introduce the usage of these two invoices, so the companies or individuals who are recently engaged in international trade can get some references to the invoices involved in import and export.
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CHINA’S MONETARY POLICY PLANS: EFFECT ON CONSUMERS AND INVESTORS

By: Director Raymond Mobrez Ph.D

Monetary policy is important because it has an immense impact on financing conditions in the economy. It influences prices, the availability of credit, bank’s willingness to assume risk, inflationary expectations and ultimately consumption and investment.
The People’s Bank of China, China’s central bank, has committed to the “moderately loose” monetary policy Definition of monetary policy:

The use of the money supply and/or the interest rate to influence the level of macroeconomic activity and other policy objectives including the balance of payments or the exchange rate. that has helped the economy recover from the global economic slump. Over the next two quarters, the central bank Definition of central bank:
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Asian Travels – 7 Top Places To Visit In Asia

By: Pinky Mcbanon

Asia is a wonderful continent and has some of the most beautiful places to visit in the world. This continent is rich in its various cultures and has a history behind everything. A holiday or vacation to this continent is sure to refresh you and give you an insight to some of the most beautiful sites and breathe taking views you have seen. Here are some of the top places you must visit in Asia.
1. Indonesia – Bali Bali is a small magnificent island which houses the Batubulan Village that are famous for its stone sculptures. The culture it portrays is rich and the Barong dance is a specialty. Do not forget to see the works of the goldsmiths and various handicrafts.
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Business Vehicles in China

By: Gregory Sy

While domestic companies have a wide range of alternatives in establishing business operations in China, foreign companies are more restricted, with the most common business vehicles for foreign investors being:
a) Representative Offices

b) Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises

c) Joint Ventures (Cooperative and Contractual)

Representative Offices

General

The fastest and easiest method for a foreign company to establish a presence or ‘footprint’ in China is through registration of a Representative Office of a foreign company.
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By: Dodo

Whether you are an expatriate looking for housing in Shanghai or a foreign investor planning to invest in real estate in Shanghai, you can find rental property in Shanghai that suits your needs and budget. Shanghai real estate offers Shanghai properties to cater to the needs of thousands of people who come here every year from different parts of the world.
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By: Victoria Cochrane

For some, a trip to China would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. To get the most out of your time in China, with the chance to immerse yourself in the culture and history of one of the most ancient civilisations on earth, it’s vital to know exactly what to see and do while you’re there.

China is a vast Empire, stretching all the way from the southeast tip of Russia, to the northern tip of India. With so much to see and do across 29 provinces, it can help to have a clear idea of the country’s top attractions and which are well worth a look near to where you are.

One of China’s most iconic national sites is the vast Great Wall of China, which covers over 4,000 miles and stretches east to west from Shanaiguan to Lop Nur, along the northern mountains of Beijing. You can walk stretches of the wall or merely marvel at its structural ingenuity and the thousands of years of culture and history imbedded in each rock. Organised tours commonly take tourists to the Badaling Section of the wall, close to Beijing, but you could also strike out alone and visit the Juangjun Pass, Baimaguan Pass or the Juyongguan Pass.

Many of China’s most popular tourist attractions are those with particular historic, cultural or religious significance and none more so than the 71m Leshan Giant Buddha, carved from the red cliffs of Leshan, in the Sichuan province. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Giant Buddha dates from the 9th century Tang Dynasty and is truly a site to behold.
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Brand Translation: Packaging Design Differences Between China And The West

By Vladimir Djurovic

Is a product still the same without its packaging? As the saying goes – looks matter, and without a properly designed package a product is hard to sell regardless of how good its other attributes might be. Indeed, packaging design represents what the brand stands for as much as other elements of the brand visual identity do, and in certain cases the packaging is almost as important as the product itself. After all, what would Coca Cola be without its famous bottle? (more…)