Posts tagged ‘george osborne’

29/01/2015

China eyes mass innovation, entrepreneurship as new engine – Xinhua | English.news.cn

China’s State Council pledged to take various steps to create an amicable environment for innovation and entrepreneurship in order to power growth and generate jobs.

China should embrace the trend of mass entrepreneurship and innovation in the Internet age, a statement released after an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Li Keqiang said.

The statement said China will foster a platform offering low-cost services in a variety of areas to micro businesses and individual start-ups that show innovation.

The government will also step up policy support, such as simplifying registration procedures and giving subsidies, to innovative businesses. They will improve financing systems to give special support to start-up companies, according to the statement.

Although China’s broader economy is slowing, China’s young entrepreneurs are driving a wave of startups that has become a bright spot for the economic landscape and an important engine for future growth.

The number of newly founded companies in China surged almost 46 percent year on year to 3.65 million in 2014, the latest data showed.

via China eyes mass innovation, entrepreneurship as new engine – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

24/11/2013

Union Jack in fashion as China banks on consumer spending | The Sunday Times

PAUL PRIESTMAN may employ only 40 staff at his London design consultancy, but in China he is one of the big boys. In August, he was appointed a director of CSR Sifang, part of China South Locomotive, the state-owned enterprise that is developing the world’s fastest train.

Many Chinese businesses are now seeking global design identities, a field in which Britain excels

Priestman, co-founder of Priestman Goode, is best known for his work on Virgin’s distinctive Pendolino tilting trains a decade ago. He is now helping CSR develop a global brand as it looks beyond the domestic Chinese market.

His appointment as creative director was a bold step. Few foreign nationals make it to the senior ranks of Chinese state-owned firms.

“It was a great accolade for British design,” said Priestman, 52. “We are helping to develop China’s design identity, which will be crucial in helping them to grow in international markets.”

Priestman Goode is in the vanguard of a “second wave” of investment in China. The first wave of European exports was led by Germany and its expertise in manufacturing; the second could be led by Britain’s strength in services.

As China rebalances its economy away from investment towards the consumer, these services are likely to be in high demand.

The reform plan unveiled this month by China’s ruling Communist party, the most radical blueprint for more than 20 years, should reduce inequality and boost incomes, unleashing spending by 1.4bn consumers.

As incomes rise, the Chinese will demand better financial services, healthcare, education and consumer goods — all sectors in which Britain excels.

Lord Sassoon, chairman of the China-Britain Business Council, who accompanied George Osborne on his trip to China last month, believes Britain has a unique opportunity.

“As the Chinese economy rebalances towards the consumer, they are very hungry for British creative ideas, whether in fashion and design or IT and technology,” he said. “On my visit with the chancellor, the excitement around British design was palpable.”

The creative industries will also be a key focus for David Cameron’s trade delegation to China next month. Priestman will be one of more than 20 business people accompanying the prime minister on the trip.

via Union Jack in fashion as China banks on consumer spending | The Sunday Times.

20/10/2013

Osborne agrees to China investing in UK nuclear plants – BBC News

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced that the UK will allow Chinese companies to take a stake in British nuclear power plants.

The announcement also said that Chinese firms might eventually be allowed to take majority stakes in British nuclear plants.

Mr Osborne made the announcement on the last day of a trade visit to China.

The first China deal could be as early as next week, with the go ahead for a new £14bn plant at the Hinkley C site.

Also on Thursday, a report commissioned for the prime minister warned of a growing risk of power shortages over the next few years.

The Royal Academy of Engineering said the closure of older power plants and the slow progress in building news ones was likely to stretch the system “close to its limits”.

Supply is expected to come under strain in the winter of 2014-15.

Most existing coal-fired plants are expected to be closed in 2015 to meet European Union pollution directives, while many gas-fired power plants are not being used at the moment because gas is so expensive.

These would take time and money to bring back on stream.

via BBC News – Osborne agrees to China investing in UK nuclear plants.

19/04/2012

* HSBC issue of renminbi bonds in London

China Daily: “George Osborne, British chancellor of the exchequer, announced an initiative on Wednesday that reaffirms his support of London becoming an offshore yuan center. That came as the banking and financial services company HSBC Holdings Plc introduced the first yuan-denominated bond to be offered in London.

Meanwhile, the City of London Corp, which governs an area in central London, published a report showing that 109 billion yuan $17.3 billion worth of customer and interbank yuan deposits were held in the city at the end of December. “This is a significant moment,” Osborne said as he introduced a policy named “London as a center for offshore renminbi business”. “This builds on the progress London has already made toward becoming the Western hub for renminbi. “Today’s event emphasizes that we are not prepared to let anyone steal a march on us in terms of new products and new markets. We are the natural home in the West for those who want to invest in China’s economic success story.

“Osbornes comments came after HSBC announced the introduction of a 3-year yuan bond. HSBC’s term sheet for the bond issuance implied it was worth at least 500 million yuan, Reuters has reported. The proposed issuance comes amid reforms Beijing has made to advance its plans to make the yuan an international currency. London is working to make itself into a center for offshore yuan trade following an agreement that was reached between Britain and China last year.

via HSBC issue of renminbi bonds in London real|Europe|chinadaily.com.cn.

20/01/2012

* Chinese to buy into Thames Water

A Chinese sovereign wealth fund has invested c£1bn for 8.7% in the water utility that serves London, in what is the fund’s first UK acquisition following talks with British politicians.

The deal follows a visit to China this week by George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, who has been urging Chinese investors to inject money into British infrastructure projects.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7b19ca2e-42c0-11e1-b756-00144feab49a.html#axzz1k0uBCqhC

Mr Osborne also made progress in persuading China to use London as the first non-Chinese centre in collaboration with Hong Kong for trading in the Renminbi (RMB). China, of course is keen on diversifying from its vast investment in the slowly declining US dollar into tangible assets; as well as to establish, in time, the RMB as an alternate global currency; especially as, for the time being the Euro is heading nowhere.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2104536,00.html

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