The Chinese mainland still lags behind Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and some other economies in Web use.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) plans to partner with Chery Automobile to manufacture vehicles in China and has applied to regulators for clearance of the joint venture.

The Ministry of Finance on Monday released a series of measures in an effort to guarantee funding for affordable housing projects in 2012.

As Valentine's Day approaches, apples with affectionate images and phrases like "I love you" and "perpetual love" have become a hot sell.

Germany's Daimler said sales growth of its Mercedes-Benz car brand slowed to 5.1 percent in January from a rate of 15.1 percent in December, reaching 86,921 vehicles as it sold fewer cars in China.

The Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council is soliciting public opinions on a draft regulation on vehicle recalls.

Refined oil products storage operated by China National Petroleum Corp surpassed 16 million cubic metres at the end of last year and service stations increased to 19,000, China Petroleum Daily reported, citing a PetroChina Co executive.

Net sales of the Swedish Volvo group in 2011 reached a record high level of 310.3 billion Swedish kronor ($46 billion), up 17.2 percent compared to 2010.

Small pickle producers in China's largest pickle producing province are benefiting from what they call a "pickle bank," which offers pickle companies a lifeline: collateral-free credit.

China and the United States have "huge potential" for economic cooperation, which should be more market-oriented, a leading economist of a Washington-based think tank said.

The biggest oil companies in the world have calculated that few, if any, of today's drivers will see electric cars outnumber gasoline and diesel models in their lifetimes.

Authorities in a southwestern China city said on Sunday that it would relocate all smelting plants near downtown in five years after a spill of toxic cadmium in a river threatened drinking water supplies for millions of people.

The US giant is facing a plethora of Chinese and Asian eatery chains that are steadily munching away at its market share.

Central Huijin Investment Ltd, the shareholder of China's biggest State-owned banks, said the lenders will lower their dividend payouts to shore up capital, Bloomberg reported.

China's airlines are not allowed to pay a charge on carbon emissions imposed by the Europe Union, and neither to hike freights nor to add other fees accordingly in absence of government permission.

China is now entering an urban age. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's urban population reached 690 million in 2011, accounting for 51.27 percent of the total population.

On Jan 30, the World Trade Organization Appellate Body released its reports on China's appeal against a WTO Panel report on its exports of raw materials on July 5, 2011.

Eastern expansion is the name of the game for firms as crisis hits Europe.

Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang urged local governments to soundly implement policies introduced by the central government to boost state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

The Chinese mainland still lags behind Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and some other economies in Web use despite recent official statistics showing it already has more than 500 million netizens.

Premier Wen Jiabao made clear the Chinese government's stance on the European debt crisis during German Chancellor Angela Merkel's fifth official visit to China since taking office.

In the wake of steep human cost in its coal mines and on its roads, China is seeking to improve workplace safety ahead of its upcoming leadership transition.

As each guest came through his front door on Tuesday, Tubtantanpel filled his glass with homemade barley liquor, made a toast and then drained it in one.

China's massive project to divert water from the south to its arid north will be partially completed this year and will start supplying water in 2013, a water conservancy official in the eastern Shandong province said.

New Hongqi sedans made by FAW Group are likely to be used as standard ministerial-level officials cars as part of government demonstration efforts, according to recent Chinese-language media reports.

Despite massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan last March that interrupted production for months, Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor's luxury unit Infiniti reported a 60 percent rise in 2011 China sales.

German automaker Volkswagen is preparing to expand financial services in China to tap new business opportunities in after-sales services, car rentals and electric vehicles.

China Vanke Co, the country's largest property developer by market value, saw home sales slump 39.3 percent year-on-year to 12.2 billion yuan ($1.96 billion) in January.

With production suspended for two decades, the once-famous Shanghai brand car is expected to be revived by SAIC Motor Corp headquartered in the eastern metropolis of China.

China will carry out a special campaign to check potential safety problems of high-speed trains this year, the country's work safety supervision authorities said.

China's economic growth will decelerate to around 8.1 percent this year and edge up to 8.7 percent in 2013, Stephen Green, economist with Standard Chartered Bank (China), said.

Prompted by rocketing prices, many seek opportunities to buy as many sapphires as possible in Changle. Sapphire trading has created a handful of millionaires and even billionaires in the small county town.

Customers want McDonald's to release more information on so-called "pink slime", but McDonald's said on Sunday it had no plans to make further comment on the issue.

China has seen a boom in the sale of handmade yuanxiao, glutinous rice dumplings traditionally eaten at Lantern Festival, in the run-up to the celebration, which falls on Monday this year.

Although it is widely speculated that China's economic growth will slow this year, Breslein is still optimistic about future growth, as his home country braces for zero growth this year.

The Chinese mainland still lags behind Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and some other economies in Web use despite recent official statistics showing it already has more than 500 million netizens.

Acting on suspicions of illegal private fundraising, the local public security department on Friday arrested Dong Shunsheng, chairman of a local education group based in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province.

Government-backed charity groups must improve transparency or risk losing donors and public trust, an ex-watchdog official said.

Ji's textile enterprise is one of many businesses along the southeast coastline that have responded to the central government's call for a real economy.

China has altered a plan to build a hydropower dam on the Poyang Lake after the plan was criticized by academicians for its potential damage to the already fragile ecology.

China's premier said Friday that the country does not discriminate against foreign companies in terms of rare earth supplies, stating that policies and quotas for both domestic and foreign companies are the same.

Chinese leaders on Friday urged banks to improve financial services for the country's real economy, especially agriculture and small firms.

Two new foreign trade routes will be opened this year in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, local authorities said Friday.

Chinese authorities plan to build a long-distance power transmission line with the country's highest voltage level in far western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

A total of 109,711 passengers traveled between southeast China's Fujian province and Taiwan via direct sea routes in January, up 19 percent year-on-year, local transportation authorities said.

The China Electricity Council (CEC) said Friday that China will face tightened supplies of electric power this year, with a shortage estimated to reach up to 40 million kilowatts.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday that energy conservation and environmental protection will be a key area for the future of Sino-German cooperation.

Kweichow Moutai Distillery Co, which makes baijiu, China's most famous white spirit, is a little miffed about its status as a luxury brand.

Many businesses in Guangdong, ranging from restaurants and toy makers to other manufacturing companies, have been hit by a labor shortage after the traditional Chinese Spring Festival. 

China aims to keep its total acreage for planting grain above 1.66 billion mu (110.67 million hectares) this year, a senior official said Friday.

China's petroleum and chemical industry will expand at an annual rate of 13 percent annually during the 2011-2015 period, the country's industrial authority said Friday.

The Zambia-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (ZCCZ) has generated around $500 million in tax revenue over the last five years, according to a press release from a ceremony held Friday to celebrate the zone's five-year anniversary.

Vice-Premier Wang Qishan on Friday said the Chinese government will accelerate the adjustment of China's economic structure and promote steady and rapid economic development.

Net sales of the Swedish Volvo group in 2011 reached a record high level of 310.3 billion Swedish kronor ($46 billion), up 17.2 percent compared to 2010.

In the week following Spring Festival, online retailers and delivery services were overwhelmed by a flood of orders from customers unable to access certain virtual stores due to holiday closures.

China is paying an increasing price for pollution brought about by economic development, says a report by the country's environmental protection academy. 

Kweichow Moutai is a little miffed about its status as a luxury brand.

Jonathan and Danielle Jenkins, a young couple from Texas in the United States, want to challenge Jack Ma's e-commerce empire.

China's strong desire to use domestic brands as official vehicles may provide a golden opportunity to revive the country's two most historic and famous cars, Hongqi (Red Flag) and Shanghai.

China will form as many as four refining bases in the coastal regions, each with a refining capacity of 20 million metric tons by the end of 2015.

Many businesses in Guangdong, ranging from restaurants and toy makers to other manufacturing companies, have been hit by a labor shortage after the traditional Chinese Spring Festival. 

The government of Jilin province in Northeast China, one of the country's top grain producers, is aiming to help its farmers increase their incomes by 12 percent after a 20 percent growth last year. 

"My job is tasting and blending baijiu (white spirit) for clients," said Fu, the youngest spirit master in Maotai town in Renhuai in Southwest China's Guizhou province.

Kweichow Moutai Distillery Co, which makes baijiu, China's most famous white spirit, is a little miffed about its status as a luxury brand.

China will continue its policy of opening-up to the outside world and encourage its enterprises to participate in equal competition in that process, Vice-Premier Li Keqiang said.

China will continue its policy of opening-up to the outside world and encourage its enterprises to participate in equal competition in that process, Vice-Premier Li Keqiang said.

Premier Wen Jiabao said on Friday that China has neither the intention nor the ability to buy up Europe, answering concerns over the country's increasing investment in debt-stricken eurozone economies.

The pace of expansion in China's non-manufacturing sector weakened in January, dragged down by the cooling housing market, indicating a continued economic slowdown.

China's Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday issued a regulation to standardize infant formula for children with congenital diseases.

Portugal's government agreed to sell a 40 percent stake in REN-Redes Energeticas Nacionais SA (RENE) for 592 million euros ($779 million) to State Grid International of China and Oman Oil Co to meet the terms of a bailout accord.

Little Sheep Group Ltd officially delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as of Feb 2.

Little Sheep Group Ltd will be officially delisted from the Hong Kong stock exchange as of Thursday, the company said on Wednesday.

Hong Kong stocks rose 17.53 points, or 0.08 percent, to close at 20,756.98 on Friday.

Land sales in China's 300 major cities dropped by nearly 50 percent year-on-year in January, as the property market cools down amid the government's rigorous measures.

China's stock index futures closed higher Friday, with the contract for February, the most actively traded, up 1.01 percent from the previous trading day to 2,509 points.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 2.2 percent, or 14.64 points, to close at 680.04 points on Friday.

McDonald's China says its burgers are made of 100 percent beef after the fast food chain announced it will drop use of "pink slime", made from spare beef trimmings, cnr.cn reported Friday.

Chinese stocks ended higher Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.77 percent, or 17.85 points, to close at 2,330.41.

South China's Guangdong province has announced a set of new policies to support cash-trapped small firms which play a vital role in creating jobs in the country's largest provincial-level economy.

China's Health Ministry has pledged to improve its supervision measures to keep the country's food safe from contamination.

The Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council, or China's cabinet, published a draft regulation on recalling defective vehicles Friday to solicit public opinions.

After unloading piles of packages from a van and stuffing them into a backpack, deliveryman Dong Zhongting starts his electric bike and zooms away from a delivery terminal in the early morning.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that China will adhere to opening to the outside world while trying to achieve balanced and sustainable economic growth through expanding domestic demand.

From Feb 4 to 8, a team sent by China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) will embark on a field trip to Syria to inspect Chinese investments there, the Beijing Times reported.

China Investment Corp (CIC) has acquired a minority stake in Washington-based asset manager EIG Global Energy Partners, the latest energy-related investment from China's $410 billion sovereign wealth fund.

China's securities regulator has for the first time published a full list of Chinese companies that have applied for an initial public offering on the Shanghai or Shenzhen markets, in a move aimed at boosting transparency of the system.

China's industrial enterprises saw their profits increase 25.4 percent year-on-year to reach 5.45 trillion yuan ($863.68 billion) in 2011, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday.

The priority of the No 1 Document of the Chinese central government has changed from water conservancy investment in 2011 to agricultural science and technology in 2012.

China's non-manufacturing business activity index, co-published by the National Bureau of Statistics and China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) on Friday, was 52.9 percent, 3.1 percentage points lower than the previous month.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key on Friday laid out goals for strengthening the country's relationship with China and increasing two-way trade.

Promoting innovation in science and technology for agriculture as the main theme of this year's No 1 document not only demonstrates the central authorities' concern for agriculture. It also points to their consideration for the long-term development of agriculture.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to China presents a good opportunity for the two governments to promote their comprehensive bilateral cooperation and enrich their strategic partnership.

In the United States, Chinese and Brazilian tourists have become the top spenders. On average, a Chinese tourist spends $6,200, compared with the $4,000 average for foreign tourists to the US.

China's long-held, low-cost manufacturing advantages are dwindling and it must make greater inputs into innovation.

Wenzhou, a pioneer in the nation's private-sector economy, is about to embark on another experiment: a banking platform meant to ease the financial woes of thousands of companies that teetered on the edge bankruptcy last year.

Stocks on the Chinese mainland rose, driving the benchmark index's biggest gain in two weeks.

The Chinese currency Renminbi, or the yuan, lost 27 basis points to 6.3102 against the US dollar on Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trading System.

Tipsy Chinese investors drunk on the legend of Lafite wine have been rudely shocked by the cold economic fact that what goes up can come down.

Woori Bank of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Bank of China signed a memorandum Thursday in Beijing regarding cooperation in currency exchange, marketing and overseas computer networks.

The demand in the Chinese gift market was as much as $122 billion in 2011, and the Spring Festival accounted for up to 60 percent of this huge market.

A Western practice has landed in China to solve a new dilemma for urban residents: too much stuff and not enough space.

Guo Shuqing, head of China's top securities regulator, reiterated on Thursday his goal of opening stock investment to the country's pension funds, which have largely been unmanaged with returns that hardly beat inflation.

The growth of China's non-manufacturing sector slowed in January, as indicated by the drop of the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) said Friday.

The export and import value of China-made electronics rose 11.5 percent year-on-year to $1.13 trillion in 2011, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Thursday.

The "angry birds" that fly on many game enthusiasts' mobile phones are now also appearing on a frequently visited online site in China.

With organized scalpers working overtime to keep the red-hot iPhone 4S in stock, Apple has adopted new retail policies to regulate orders and delivery of the product in Hong Kong and on the mainland market.

Even though China's grain output hit a record high last year, the country will continue to maintain grain imports at appropriate levels to balance market demand and supply, a senior official said Thursday.

China is considering "involving itself more deeply into" the efforts to address Europe's debt issue through channels like the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

The United States is likely to start more anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into Chinese exports of auto parts, the Ministry of Commerce said.

Chinese consumers were big buyers of luxury goods worldwide during the recent Spring Festival holiday, an industry report showed.

People from overseas hoping to buy a home in China will no longer be granted medium- or long-term mortgages, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Thursday.

Along with Beijing and Shanghai, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, is rising to be another hot spot for buyers of luxury goods, despite Hong Kong - offering tariff-free products - being just a two-hour train journey away.

Facebook's planned initial public offering (IPO) is likely to give impetus to China's social networking service (SNS) and boost its development, industry insiders say.

Although forecasts for China's growth rate vary, analysts and economists agree that the world's second-largest economy will achieve a soft landing in 2012, with the prospect of further easing measures.

PetroChina Co, the country's biggest energy producer, said it has agreed to buy a 20-percent stake in Royal Dutch Shell PLC's Groundbirch shale-gas project in Canada to obtain drilling technology and expertise.

China's net crude oil import growth is expected to slow for a second consecutive year in 2012 to 5.98 percent, in conjunction with weaker economic expansion, according to CNPC, the country's biggest oil producer.

China may offer rescue funds to Europe, Premier Wen Jiabao said after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Hong Kong stocks rose 406.08 points, or 2 percent, to close at 20,739.45 on Thursday.

Chinese stocks rallied Thursday with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 1.96 percent, or 44.48 points, to close at 2,312.56.

China's stock index futures closed higher Thursday, with the contract for February, the most actively traded, up 1.98 percent from the previous trading day to 2,487.2 points.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, rose 14.63 points, or 2.25 percent, to close at 665.4 points on Thursday.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, just released a notice, limiting mortgages for foreigners purchasing properties in China, the Shanghai Securities Journal reported Thursday.

The total online shopping revenue in China for 2011 is expected to hit 800 billion yuan, with 3.65 billion pieces of express mail and parcels sent, said He Liming, chairman of China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

China's top economic planning agency announced Thursday it would raise the minimum purchase prices for rice in 2012 to encourage farmers to grow more grains.

Rovio Entertainment Ltd, the maker of the popular game Angry Birds, on Thursday officially opened its virtual store on Tmall.com, China's biggest e-commerce website where companies sell to customers.

Rovio Entertainment Ltd, the maker of the popular game Angry Birds, on Thursday officially opened its virtual store on Tmall.com, China's biggest e-commerce website where companies sell to customers.

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday the country's strong economic growth in past years owes a great deal to China's steady technical and financial assistance.

The Chinese currency Renminbi, or the yuan, gained 28 basis points to 6.3075 against the US dollar on Thursday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trading System.

China's SOE watchdog said Wednesday that a majority of its centrally-administered State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have built and improved their own websites in a bid to promote "soft power."

It is both necessary and possible for China to maintain a proactive fiscal policy this year, Chinese Finance Minister Xie Xuren said on Wednesday.

Restaurant group looks to Asia for expansion drive as US division saw losses.

Chinese authorities Wednesday issued its first policy document for 2012, underscoring the importance of scientific and technological innovation for sustained agricultural growth.

Four top Danish companies have joined a Chinese-Danish partnership scheme aimed at attracting Chinese students and professionals to work in Denmark, the Danish foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

China's central authorities on Wednesday said the nation will continue to step up investment and subsidies for agriculture this year in order to stabilize grain production.

China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group announced Wednesday that it had set up a foundation to support the development of the country's environmental protection organizations.

China's mapping service regulator Wednesday said Google's application for an online maps license, which is required for operating such service in China, is under official examination.

China is ready to respond to possible complaints over its rare earth export restrictions at the World Trade Organization, a Ministry of Commerce (MOC) official said Wednesday.

The search engine Google Inc is unable to provide "new" online mapping services in China. That's because the company has yet to receive a license to conduct the business from China's industry regulator, citing a deadline of Feb 1.

China's State Council, or the Cabinet, on Wednesday called for more efforts to support the sound development of small and micro-sized enterprises.

The Group of 77 and China ( G77+China) on Wednesday made loud calls for a scaled-up global partnership to end poverty, particularly as the world surpasses one billion people living below poverty line.

How can transparency and better information disclosure help solve the heavy metal pollution problem China is facing today? The cadmium pollution incident in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region provides a vivid example.

Some Beijing residents have expressed hopes the new air monitoring stations will be set up in areas that can truly reflect the capital's air quality.

Internet users in the municipality with a history of online dishonesty may be barred from certain business activities in real life, a senior official from Shanghai said on Wednesday.

When a tourist to Hainan Island complained on his micro blog that he was charged 3,600 yuan ($571) for a simple three-dish meal at a seafood stall in Sanya during the Spring Festival holiday, local government officials responded to the widespread criticism it triggered by saying it had received no complaints about the service industry during the holiday week.

China has emerged successfully from the global financial crisis, but the nation must continue to undertake fundamental reforms to sustain its economic growth and help the rest of the world recover.

China's home prices fell for a fifth month in January as the government maintained its curbs on the property sector and more developers cut prices to stimulate sales.

The dispute between China and the United State over imports of solar panels is set to make life more challenging for Chinese companies.

Hong Kong should count on inbound tourism and closer cooperation with the Chinese mainland to support its economic growth, which is forecast to slow significantly during the year due to a slump in exports, experts said.

A proactive fiscal policy is a "feasible and indispensable" option to allow China to maintain steady development amid the global economic downturn, said Finance Minister Xie Xuren on Wednesday.

China vowed to renew its efforts to improve agriculture through science and technology as part of a major effort to boost the country's agricultural production and increase farmers' incomes, a central policy document said.

China's State Council on Wednesday called for more efforts to support the sound development of small and micro-sized enterprises.

China's manufacturing sector expanded in January, as indicated by a slight rise in the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) to 50.5 from 50.3 in December.

China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp (CGNPC) moved closer to gaining control of Kalahari Minerals PLC, which holds an indirect interest in the world's fourth-largest uranium mine, the Husab project in Namibia.

It is both necessary and possible for China to maintain a proactive fiscal policy this year, Chinese Finance Minister said.

It is both necessary and possible for China to maintain a proactive fiscal policy this year, Chinese Finance Minister said.

South African Airways (SAA), the largest airline by turnover in Africa, launched its first non-stop route between Beijing and Johannesburg on Wednesday, which is also the first direct route between the Chinese mainland and South Africa.

Daimler plans to more than double output of Mercedes brand vehicles to 2.7 million by 2020 in its drive to become the world's largest premium car maker.

The spokesman from the country's top poverty reduction authority on Tuesday blamed the "foolish behavior" of a county government in Central China's Hunan province for posting cheerful remarks about being named a State-level poverty-stricken area.

Li Dongzhe, one of the country's most wanted economic fugitives, has returned to China and turned himself in, the Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday.

From the fourth quarter of 2011 till now, a total of 1,527 listed companies have disclosed their 2011 performance predictions, the 21st Century Business Herald reported Wednesday.

The State Council announced on Tuesday that it will send drafts of the annual government work report to local governments and some central departments for feedback.

China's stock index futures closed lower Wednesday, with the contract for February, the most actively traded, down 1.17 percent from the previous trading day to 2,439.8 points.

The third-largest crude oil reserve base in China has begun operating in Hebei province in the north of the country.

The rising price of Starbucks coffee in China has become a hot topic on the Internet, with the Seattle-based coffee chain increasing prices in its 500 Chinese mainland stores on Tuesday.

Search engine Google Inc may not be able to provide "new" online mapping services in China as the company hasn't received a license from China's industry regulator to conduct business.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, rose 2.09 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 650.78 points on Wednesday.

Hong Kong stocks fell 57.12 points, or 0.28 percent, to close at 20,333.37 on Wednesday.

Chinese stocks fell Wednesday with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 1.07 percent, or 24.53 points, to close at 2,268.08.

staff member from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Industry and Commerce Administration checks samples of sweet dumplings sold at a supermarket in Beijing, Jan 31, 2012.

Ms. Jiang from Xuhui district of Shanghai now regrets dismissing her baby's nanny a month ago, because during her "nanny hunt" over Spring Festival she found the prices to be almost double what she had been paying.

China Auto Rental Inc became on Jan 18 the first Chinese company to file for a US listing since regulators changed the rules.

China has set a goal of reducing its major pollutant emissions by more than 30 to 40 percent by 2015 in its latest 12th five-year plan (2010-2015) for environment protection, according to a Wednesday report in the People's Daily newspaper.

General Motors Co regained its title as the world's top-selling automaker from Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp in 2011, but the US company faces a challenge to stay on top.

China must speed up industrial restructuring and upgrading, and make substantial progress on the road towards new industrialization, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei wrote in an article in the latest issue of Qiushi Magazine.

Sweet dumplings sold in supermarkets are checked by staff members from Beijing Municipal Bureau of Industry and Commerce Administration to ensure food safety in Beijing, Jan 31, 2012.

China's January Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to a higher-than-expected level of 50.5 from 50.3 in December, indicating an expansion in the manufacturing sector.

Are these protectionist measures the right remedy for solving the US' grim unemployment problem?

The Chinese currency Renminbi, or the yuan, gained 12 basis points to 6.3103 against the US dollar on Wednesday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trading System.

Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) on Tuesday set up a dedicated team for business with China to seek more ways of cooperation and investment in specialized industry fields including joint project for underground street development.

China's net international investment position at the end of September 2011 was positive to the tune of $1.89 trillion.

The city of Shanghai rolled out new rules on Tuesday to ensure the safety of its skyscrapers after a series of accidents in which glass panels on the exterior walls of high-rises shattered unexpectedly.

China will gradually expand the sample size for measuring the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) from the current 820 companies to around 3,000 companies, authorities announced Tuesday.

Chinese officials have expressed their regret that the World Trade Organization (WTO) has upheld its ruling against China in a raw materials export case, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.

Products containing fake edible salt extracted from pesticide residue may have made their way on to dining tables in some areas, police in Anhui province have warned.

China's economic growth declined to 9.2 percent in 2011, down from 10.4 percent a year earlier, as the result of the tightened monetary and banking policies adopted to rein in inflation.

Brighter sales prospects in North America and continued healthy growth in emerging markets should underpin global automakers' credit quality over the coming quarters, says Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.

China's bonds issued in 2011 totaled 7.8 trillion yuan ($1.24 trillion), down 20.4 percent from a year earlier, the country's central bank said Tuesday.

A cadmium pollution belt that has wreaked havoc in a south China river for two weeks will not result in the cutting of water supplies to a downstream city, a local environmental protection official said Tuesday.

Sweden's Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling presented an initiative on Tuesday to promote fashion exports to China.

Honda Motor Co slashed its annual profit guidance to the lowest level in three years as it counted the cost of natural disasters in Japan and Thailand and a strong yen.

Wenzhou firms that closed down have resumed operations following measures to improve the financial situation in the city.

China's steelmakers suffered losses in 2011 because of rising costs and shrinking demand. That will result in weak performances following the Chinese Lunar New Year and the situation will continue for several months until the downstream market grows.

Sany Heavy Industry Co Ltd, China's largest construction equipment group, will buy a leading German machinery producer as the company seeks to expand globally amid slower growth for the domestic construction industry.

Top Chinese automaker SAIC Motor Corp Ltd has forecast a rise of more than 40 percent in 2011 net income on solid demand for German and American marques made at its Shanghai ventures.

Starbucks Corp raised the prices of some of its products in China to offset higher costs, the coffee chain's first price hike in five years.

China Shipbuilding Industry Corp (CSIC), one of the country's major shipbuilding conglomerates, plans to expand its business in the wind-power industry as it looks for ways of coping with a declining shipping market, said a senior company official.

Strong earnings reports by companies listed on China's start-up board are encouraging, but they don't provide a "crystal ball" for the market's direction, stock analysts and investors said.

China's Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), a preliminary readout of the country's manufacturing activity, rose to 50.5 percent in January of 2012.

Several Chinese banks in Shanghai are lowering their interest rates on mortgages for first-home purchases, and some foreign-funded banks are also offering discounts, according to a report.

Growing numbers of Chinese people opting for imported food have been concerned about the safety of the products as they soar in popularity.

Multinational corporations (MNCs) have shown growing enthusiasm in recruiting China-educated business professionals to compensate for the reduction of workforces in developed markets.

China is "ready" to deal with increasing pressure from developed nations to loosen export restrictions on rare earths, a Ministry of Commerce official said.

China will slow approvals of nuclear projects after the resumption, which is expected to take place this year, according to an industry expert from a national energy think tank.

Companies are having to introduce better pay incentives as increasing number of employees are failing to return to work after Spring Festival.

China is "ready" to deal with increasing pressure from developed nations to loosen export restrictions on rare earths, a Ministry of Commerce official said.

Stocks on the Chinese mainland rose on Tuesday, driving the benchmark index to its best January performance since 2009, as Greece made progress in debt-swap talks and on speculation the Chinese government will encourage pension funds to invest in equities.

Business owners in Wenzhou who have been reducing employee numbers as orders decline may face problems hiring more workers in the future due to a severe labor shortage.

After reaching a peak of trading success in the early years of this century, export-based manufacturers in Wenzhou, the birthplace of China's private economy, are now struggling as the business environment worsens.

Chinese ports will no longer accommodate vessels exceeding approved capacities, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Transport on its website on Tuesday.

China's foreign trade in 2012 may have experienced the slowest growth since it entered WTO, but it is estimated to maintain a growth of over 15 percent, China Economic Weekly reported Tuesday.

China is mulling a new round of efforts to regulate the sizzling property market after the moves it imposed about a year ago to limit purchases of residential apartments effectively brought down prices, analysts said Tuesday.

A 300-km section of river will be affected by cadmium pollution stretching across 100km of a river in south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, experts handling the incident said Tuesday.

Police officers put soluble aluminum chloride into water, which can neutralize cadmium, a highly toxic heavy metal contaminant found in Longjiang River.

Chinese stocks ended slightly higher Tuesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.33 percent, or 7.57 points, to close at 2,292.61.

Police officers put soluble aluminum chloride into water, which can neutralize cadmium, a highly toxic heavy metal contaminant found in Longjiang River in Liuzhou city, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Jan 29, 2012.

China will overhaul its current food standards, integrating new specifications and weeding out others in a move largely aimed at avoiding overlap and contradiction, the Ministry of Heath announced.

China is heading for a tipping point in its demographic advantages, as the family-planning policy coupled with the weakening inflow of rural migrants will eventually take away its developmental advantage.

Taiwan's leading food manufacturing company, the President Enterprises Corporation, will spend $100 million to build a new factory in east China's Jiangsu province, local authorities said.

The newly-appointed chief of the Agricultural Bank of China (AgBank) has promised to strive for the sustainable development of rural financing through further reforms while supporting the real economy.

Seven people have been detained on suspicion of industrial waste discharges that polluted a south China river and threatened water supplies in a major downstream city, the local government said Monday.

The Chinese currency Renminbi, or the yuan, lost 59 basis points to 6.3115 against the US dollar on Tuesday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trading System.

Over 1 million tourists swarmed to south China's Hainan province for the Chinese New Year holiday, pouring millions of dollars into the tropical resort island. But many of them say they spent too much.

After a series of setbacks, including a fatal bout of foot-and-mouth disease, Zhang has learned that making money from pig farming is a marathon, not a sprint.

Foreigners may scratch their heads in wonder at the world's largest annual human migration, as more than 300 million Chinese people travel to and fro to celebrate the lunar new year.

Increasing economic interdependence and globalization are in common interest of all and outweigh ideological differences

China expressed regrets over the World Trade Organization (WTO)'s ruling against China in raw material exports, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Tuesday.

China will continue to increase its investment in water conservation infrastructure to ensure grain security, protect water resources, promote the well-being of people and mitigate damage from disasters.

The slowing economy took some of the pop and sizzle out of the Spring Festival's fireworks this year.

Different from their parents, who after working in cities would return home to rural China with their savings, the new generation of migrant workers often prefer to settle down in the bustling hubs where they work.

China Telecom plans to speed up broadband access in the capital after the Spring Festival free of charge, according to a source familiar with the issue.

China's most famous Buddhist temple, the Shaolin Temple, could become better known for messiness and poor service.

Job scams usually contain certain common "red flags" that can alert you to fraudulent jobs.

Zhejiang province will strive to ease private companies' financing pressures and channel private capital into the real economy instead of speculation, said Xia Baolong, the provincial governor, on Monday.

Increasing numbers of workers are leaving jobs with nothing new to go to as attitudes change.

China's total output of 10 major non-ferrous metals will see an annual growth of 8 percent during the 2011-2015 period, the country's industrial authority said in a plan released on Monday.

China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin said here on Monday that China hopes to strengthen its cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in such fields as energy and project contracting.

Visitors chased the warm sunshine to Hainan province, the tropical resort island during the weeklong Spring Festival holiday, but many came back in a bad mood after being overcharged and swindled.

China will develop overseas nonferrous metal bases and phase out obsolete smokestack domestic industries during its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).

Greece and China reiterated on Monday their commitment to enhance bilateral economic ties during a visit to Athens by a Chinese delegation, headed by deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Zhang Xiaoqiang.

South Korea saw a greater reliance on China for rare earth supplies in 2011, with China accounting for nearly 80 percent of South Korea's rare earth imports, customs data showed Monday.

China's benchmark stock index slipped on the first trading day of the Lunar New Year, a move that seemed to bear out analysts' forecasts of a continued downtrend, at least in the first half.

However, in a country with more than 500 million Internet users, no one has a clear idea of how big the business is. Insiders are advocating that it be brought into the sunlight through the legalization of private lending.

A US solar industry group opposed to a rival coalition's request for steep import duties on Chinese-made solar cells and modules warned in a report on Monday that more than 60,000 US jobs could be lost if such duties were imposed.

Apple Inc recently released its fiscal 2012 first quarter results. The company posted record quarterly revenue of $46.33 billion, with iPhone sales totaling 37 million units.

China Telecom Corp Ltd, the nation's third-largest mobile operator, revealed it may launch the code division multiple access (CDMA) version of Apple Inc's iPhone 4S in the Chinese mainland as early as February.

China's major cities saw a drop in property sales during the Lunar New Year holiday, indicating a further correction in the real estate market.

A dramatic decline in new medium- and long-term loans by Chinese commercial lenders last year highlighted the insufficient financial support available to the real economy, which produces goods and services.

Draft rules concerning the imposition of capital gains taxes on foreign qualified institutional investors (QFIIs) are ready to be published, and the tax can help to limit capital outflows and improve the quality of investment projects.

China's government debt is at an "overall safe and controllable" level, said Premier Wen Jiabao, who pledged that funding for key projects would be ensured and steps would be taken to gradually digest the risks.

Shanghai will become the global center of yuan trading, clearing and pricing by 2015, in line with a State plan to make the city an international financial hub by 2020.

China's construction equipment giant Sany Heavy Industry is to take over Putzmeister in a 360-million-euro deal。

A record number of tourists swarmed into the city of Yichang, home of the Three Gorges Dam in central China's Hubei province, during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday.

For this year's Spring Festival holiday, Gao Jianhua and his family celebrated in much the same fashion as they did in previous years, feasting on food and presenting each other with gifts.

China's stock index futures closed lower Monday, with the contract for February, the most actively traded, down 1.99 percent from the previous trading day to 2,469.2 points.

As of the end of January, a total of 28 municipalities and provinces in China have released their 2011 economic data, China Business News reported Monday.

Imagine a river flows across two neighboring provinces. The upriver province will be financially rewarded if it ensures quality river water for the lower province; otherwise, it will pay the lower one as compensation.

The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, began on Jan 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac

More efforts are being put into mitigating cadmium pollution in a river in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region that threatens the water safety of downstream cities, local authorities said Monday.

A seller touts his half priced products at Ditan Spring Festival Temple Fair in Beijing, Jan 29, 2012, the last day of the fair.

China's central bank said Monday that banks lent 175.1 billion yuan ($27.77 billion) to support the construction of low-income housing in 2011.

For the first time, new car buyers in China could have the right to return a faulty car and ask for a replacement or refund.

After a year of sluggish growth partly due to a massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan last March, Toyota's luxury unit Lexus aims to boost sales in China by more than 50 percent to 88,000 units this year.

Last summer, Beijing resident Jiang Bin successfully limited his monthly electricity bills incurred by his family of three to less than 100 yuan ($16) by using energy-efficient lamps and low-energy appliances.

Residents of the capital city face the nation's toughest restrictions on license plates for new vehicles, but some have found solutions with the help of dealers and car rental companies.

The robust growth of the Chinese luxury market has seen high-end brands expanding their territory in the fashion industry to keep enticing consumers.

Despite being repeatedly proved wrong, proponents of the "China collapse" theory have been using it to win their share of the market. A recent article by Gordon G. Chang in Foreign Policy, a bimonthly US magazine, is one such example.

The Chinese currency Renminbi, or the yuan, gained 82 basis points to 6.3056 against the US dollar on Monday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trading System.

China's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging and battery swapping station has been put into operation in Beijing, sources with the city's power supply authorities said Sunday.

China's leading Internet protocol television (IPTV) operator, Shanghai-based BesTV, is vowing to reintroduce TV to people's everyday lives, bringing back the traditional family atmosphere.

The world economy in 2011 was not as rosy as most people expected at the beginning of the year. Will this year be better?

East China's Shandong province, the country's largest labor exporter, sent nearly 50,000 laborers abroad in 2011, local authorities said Sunday.

The week-long Spring Festival holiday ended with another travel peak as millions of travelers returned from family visits to work, raising pressure on railroads and highways.

China's tourism revenue rose 23.6 percent during the Spring Festival holiday from the same period last year, the National Tourism Administration said on Sunday.

A "gold rush" swept through China during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday this year, with demand for precious metals and jewelry surging since the Year of the Dragon began.

China's week-long Spring Festival holiday, which ended on Saturday, brought the annual travel boom, with outbound trips a new favorite.

China's housing market had a bleak week during the Lunar New Year holiday, with many cities seeing few transactions.

China's light vehicle market finished 2011 with 18 million new vehicles sold to edge up 4.6 percent from 2010, the lowest annual growth rate in the past decade.

On 28 January last year, Chongqing launched a long-await trial property tax to cool the red-hot housing market and curb the skyrocketing housing prices. One year after the implementation of the trial tax, the effect is obvious.

The expiry of the home appliance replacement program at the end of 2011 did as was expected and cooled down the electrical equipment market.

Leftovers can be easily transformed into fertilizer, animal feed and energy. Some companies are working on technologies to generate electricity with rubbish. Others plan to turn food scraps into fertilizer or animal feed.

The difficulty of securing a train ticket online during the Spring Festival has prompted hackers to write computer programs that break into booking sites.

Chinese investors are showing an increasingly high level of interest in the Australian property market. Chinese developers were responsible for 9 percent of the 30 percent share foreign developers took in the Australia apartment market last year.

Trade tensions between China and the United States may be exacerbated by the global financial outlook and US election politics, economists said.

Shanghai's development from a manufacturing base into a services center is a natural move for the cosmopolitan city, which has always harbored ambitions to rival New York and London as a global financial hub.

Cheng Siwei, a former senior legislator has proposed that the authorities adjust interest rates to prevent inflation from eroding savings.

China's fledgling real estate investment fund market could see a surge of activity in 2012, as property developers launch their own vehicles in a desperate bid to bridge an estimated $111 billion financing gap in the year ahead.

New loans extended in the first month of 2012 are expected to hit a little more than 1 trillion yuan ($157.9 billion), similar to the same period last year, China Times reported Sunday.

The cadmium pollution in a river in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region following a spill from an industrial plant has been controlled and no new leakage has been found.

Visitors look at dragon themeed exhibits at Nanjing Museum on Jan 25, 2012. An exhibition themed "the dragon taking off" was held during the Lunar New Year holiday in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, and attracted thousands of visitors.

Visitors look at dragon themeed exhibits at Nanjing Museum on Jan 25, 2012. An exhibition themed "the dragon taking off" was held during the Lunar New Year holiday in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, and attracted thousands of visitors.

With PPF Group, communicating with governments is Kolesar's main job, a task fraught with difficulties for a foreigner.

China will continue to crack down on illegal cross-border capital flow this year in an aim to protect the country's economic and financial security, the country's top foreign exchange regulator said.

China's top auditor has warned of potential risks in the fiscal and financial sectors this year, as well as possible risks regarding resources and the environment, social stability, outbound investment and an informationized society.

The price hike of the newly released dragon stamps is a mirage, as it is still untested by time.

The idea behind these gatherings: Guests can book the private room, bring their own bottles from their cellars, share the wine with friends and ask for comment from a wine critic or a winery owner.

Almost all of the 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads and 59 million other products Apple sold last year were manufactured in other countries.

China's retail sales for the Spring Festival holiday rose 16.2% Y-O-Y, boosted by a variety of promotional events, data from the MOC showed on Saturday.

After a continuous and aggressive series of store openings in China, many international premium brands wonder whether to venture into the country's e-commerce market.

Many luxury brands have made their annual price adjustments for certain products, with increases of more than 10 percent since November, but that hasn't dented Chinese customers' taste for upmarket items.

© China Daily, 2010