China EDG Dinner

Our next discussion will occur in a more social setting, a restaurant! On Tuesday, May 19 at 6pm we will meet in front of CityShop and walk over to the restaurant to have dinner together. It should cost about 35RMB per person (but it will not be as fancy as in the picture).

If you would like to come, please RSVP (tell us that you are coming) by Sunday. REMEMBER: we will meet in front of CityShop at 6pm (not the usual 7:30pm).

The discussion will be more free-flowing, based on current news and topics you are eager to discuss!

From last week:
The website we discussed, from which you can download music for free (if you're in China) is:

• Top 100: www.top100.cn/
• And the new Google edition: www.google.cn/music/

I (Kai) must say that I find this shocking from a Western perspective, as these record companies are essentially waving the white flag (surrendering) on IPR in China--perhaps we can discuss this too!

News Review

This week we are changing the format slightly. For the upcoming week EDGers should keep a close eye on the international media and what it has to say on China. Then either print (or email us so we can print) an article of interest so as we can discuss it at this weeks meeting!

In preparing for this perhaps you can think of a few questions about your article and/or perhaps add a comment to this post (comment tab below) telling us about your article with a link to it so we can also begin to think about your article.

When: Tuesday, May 12th at 7:30pm
Where: City Shop Pan Yu Lu

Don't forget you can access the blog via the new website, www.chinaedg.com.

China's Medical Care: Once a Barefoot Wonderland

This week's topic will cover, "China's Medical Care: Once a Barefoot Wonderland".

When: Tuesday, May 5th at 7:30pm
Where: City Shop Pan Yu Lu

Suggested Reading

1. Backgrounder: Chronology of Health Care Reforms. Sina Online.

2.The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and China's State Council jointly issued a guideline on fixing the ailing health care system on April 6 after over five months of debate and revision. It kicked off the long-anticipated reform to ensure health care service is more accessible and affordable to the country's 1.3 billion people. (click here). Xinhua News.

3. Health Care Reforms Aim to be Finished By 2020 (WSJ Online). However, will they? We will aim to assess his target this coming week.

4. MNCs Continue to Show Increasing Interest in China's Pharmaceutical Market. PWC Report.

5. Western style private hospital care is on the rise in China. Will it be the future or will a "National Health Service" be prevalent. China's Medical Boom is documented by Time Magazine. (Click here)

Real Estate in China

This week we will cover "Real Estate in China." In particular, we will focus on the measures that government can undertake to ensure a healthy real estate market. Bonus: this week's meeting will also include a real estate game... get ready to "bid" for a piece of property!

When: Tuesday, April 28st at 7:30pm

Where: City Shop Pan Yu Lu

Readings

• "In China, Property Sales Show Signs of Picking Up," WSJ.（The figure “real estate slump” is intuitive and useful. All the other materials are selected according to the critical points in that picture.）
• A collection of historic news when the housing markets roared along and reached its historic high, CER. Around December, 2007
• "China’s property market from boom to bust," The Economist. January 2008
• "China cuts taxes, rates to boost housing market," CER. October, 2008
• "China's real estate market still waits for recovery," Xinhua. April, 2009

Optional

• "China's 4 trillion yuan stimulus to boost economy, domestic demand," Xinhua.
  

China's Labor Market

This week's topic will cover, "China's Labor Market". We will discuss what the labor market looks like now, what challenges it faces, legal reforms, the role of Unions, the issue of mass labor migration and more.

When: Tuesday, April 21st at 7:30pm

Where: City Shop Pan Yu Lu

It is thought that most people will purchase a tea/coffee as City Shop have kindly allowed us to use the cafe at no extra cost. But, saying this we understand that students have budgets!

Suggested Reading

1. The Chinese Labor Market Now. Global Financial Crisis Spills Over into Chinese Labor Market. CHINA.ORG.CN.

2. Graduate unemployment in China. The Economist.

3.What China's changing labor market means for the West. MoneyWeek.

4. China's Labor Unions. New labor regulations designed to protect China's workers are already having an impact, according to an American-based watchdog. Newsweek.

5. China's labor Law Buckle (Video). CNN Video.

Optional Reading / Resources

1. The labor market in post-reform China: history, evidence, and implications; China's labor cost advantages are shifting but will remain formidable.

2. We all are aware of the factory closures and the strain it has added to China's employment targets. It is also testing China's Labor Law. WSJ Online.

3. Economic Transition and the Labor Market.

4. IMF Working Paper on Labor Market Performances and Challenges in China.

5. China's Labor Market and Income Security.

6. Modernizing China's Labor Market Stats.

7. Labor Market Research (China). Pick one or two to skim-read. Southwestern.

No Meeting Tuesday 14th April

Hi EDGers

Late notice, but the planned meeting for tonight (Tuesday 14th April) will not go ahead as Kai is away and it appears so am I.

Apologies for the short notice.

Next weeks topic will cover the labor market in China.

See you all next week!

Seb and Kai

M&A in China: Considering Coke's Failure and the M&A Market

This week's topic is, "M&A in China: Considering Coke's Failure and the M&A Market". So, what do you all think? What questions do you want to ask about the deal? What do the events surrounding the failed offering suggest of China's domestic regulation? Internationally, how are Chinese back M&A deals received?

When: Tuesday, April 7th at 7:30pm

Where: City Shop Pan Yu Lu

It is thought that most people will purchase a tea/coffee as City Shop have kindly allowed us to use the cafe at no extra cost. But, saying this we understand that students have budgets!

Suggested Reading

Coke-Huiyuan Deal (Pick one or two to read)

1. Coke's Juicy Deal. Coke's announcement for a $2.4bn bid to take over China Huiyuan Juice is assessed in The China Economic Review. Just before the deal was vetoed, Coke announced to increase investment in China by another $2bn on top of the Huiyuan deal.

2. What did they know that Coke doesn't? Did China's regulators save Coke from an over-juiced deal? WSJ Online. (How China rejected the Coke-Huiyuan Deal. WSJ Online.)

3. Hard to Swallow. China's indicates the real targets for it's anti-monopoly law. The Economist.

China M&A Market

1. In 2003 the Peoples Daily reported that China's M&A Market would "bloom" in five years (click here), in 2008 it was confirmed in a follow up article: China's M&A Market Grows by 225% in Q2 (2008). Peoples Daily Online.

2. China's Overseas M&A Challenge. Asia Times Online.

Optional Reading

1. China's Cross Boarder M&A. Zero2IPO.

2. Happy Days for Tapping into China's M&A Niche. FT Online.

Energy: The Impact on China's Environment

This week's topic is, "Energy: The Impact on China's Environment". This is Part II of our Energy and the Environment talks.

When: Tuesday, March 31st at 7:30pm
Where: City Shop Pan Yu Lu

It is thought that most people will purchase a tea/coffee as City Shop have kindly allowed us to use the cafe at no extra cost. But, saying this we understand that students have budgets!

Readings

1. Chocking on Growth. A series of articles and multimedia examining the impact of China’s epic pollution crisis. Articles, videos, photography and an interactive map. For the Chinese translation click here. New York Times.

2. Environmental Consequences of Rising Energy Use in China. To download the PDF click here. A long document, so pick and chose what you read for Tuesday. The Lowy Institute for International Policy and The Brookings Institution.

3. Green Dragon: China's Clean - Energy Revolution. WSJ Environmental Capital Blog. For the Chinese WSJ see, http://chinese.wsj.com/gb/index.asp.

Optional

4. City of Dreams. A Chinese eco-city, but it is still on the drawing board. What might be on the horizon to lessen the impact on the environment. The Economist.

5. China's Elephants Feel the Squeeze. An article demonstrating the impact of Energy and alike on the Environment. Al Jazeera.


Resources

1. China's Green Beat. This is a fascinating project established by two friends from China and America. The videos can be found easily on YouTube about all of the topics covered (for an example click here).

2. chinaenvironmentallaw.com is a discussion on China's Environmental and Energy laws, regulations and policies.

3. Environmental Capital is a blog site hosted by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) commenting on the business of the environment. For the Chinese WSJ see, http://chinese.wsj.com/gb/index.asp.

China Energy

This week's topic is, "China Energy."

When: Tuesday, March 24th at 7:30pm
Where: City Shop Panyu Lu

Readings

1. "China's Future in an Energy-Constrained World?" Energy Trends.
2. Link to PDF Download: "China's Role in World Energy," Nottingham University.
3. "Satisfying China's Demand for Energy," BBC.

Optional

1. Link to PDF Download: "China Energy: Guide for the Perplexed," China Balance Sheet. Pages 4-37 provide a stellar overview of energy issues, with many informative graphs and charts.
2. Link to PDF Download: "China's "New" Energy Adminstration," China Business Review. The author, Erica Downs, is one of the West's leading experts on China's energy policy, particularly with regards to oil.
   
3. Link to PDF Download: "Managing China-U.S. Energy Competition in the Middle East," The Washington Quarterly. Co-author Jeffrey Bader is President Obama's Senior China Advisor.

From last week's US-China Discussion

1. Link to PDF Download: "China Policy Under and Obama Administration," The China Brief. As promised, in English and Chinese.
   

New beginnings? China-US Relations under Obama

This week's topic is, "New beginnings? China-US Relations under Obama."

When: Tuesday, March 17th at 7:30pm
Where: City Shop Panyu Lu The expectation is that everyone purchases a small drink or snack.

Readings (Kept short this week, due to the late notice.)

1. "Will US-China Relations Sink or Swim?" The Guardian.
2. "US, China Seek Healthier Relationship," WSJ.
3. "US-China Relations Under the Obama Administration," Stanford Review.