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Secrecy blankets trade talks
Talks to create the Trans-Pacific Partnership,
potentially the largest free-trade agreement to be signed by the United States,
continue this week amid secrecy on the topics of discussion. This much is known
- for most countries, the pact would offer few trade benefits. - Carey L
Biron (May 8, '12)
Salt threatens Mekong rice
Increased salinity in the Mekong delta threatens rice production in the area,
where nearly half of Vietnam's rice is grown. A race is now on to develop a
strain of rice that can withstand submergence for over two weeks and resist
damage from salt water. Half the solution has already been found. - Marwaan
Macan-Markar (Apr 18, '12)
North battles for 'market'
supremacy
Preparatory meetings for three summits that will define future global trade
reveal a distinct pattern: countries of the North are aggressively seeking to
prevent any discussion of the exaggerations of finance in our world, and do not
wish to allow anyone to question the role of the "market" in economic affairs.
- Vijay Prashad (Apr 10, '12)
Fears over floating currency
Stability in Myanmar will now be reflected in a floating exchange rate for the
kyat as the government moves to abandon an overvalued fixed rate in line with
the more widely used black market value. Inflationary threats are rising
alongside fears that inefficiencies plaguing development could corrupt the
experiment. Badly managed, the float could lead foreign capital now rushing in
to flee just as quickly. - Joseph Allchin (Apr
5, '12)
China outlook gloomy
The latest survey of Chinese industry points to further weakening of domestic
demand, adding to concerns of an Asia-wide slowdown eased slightly by export
powerhouses South Korea and Singapore. - Robert M Cutler
(Mar 23, '12)
Trade pact reveals US hunger
The latest round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement involving
Pacific-rim countries (though not China and not, so far, Japan) claimed
"significant progress", while civil society groups claim only companies,
particularly those from the United States, will benefit, not workers and
communities. - Neena Bhandari (Mar 12, '12)
MARKET RAP
Asia heads lower
Shanghai and Hong Kong led Asia stocks down over the week, with the mainland
China market tumbling around 6% with only a hint of overselling. Discovering
positives in this sell-off is difficult, with possible breakouts to the upside
looking slender hopes at best. (Dec 16, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
US the loser in Asia push
A switch of focus by the United States to Asia continues a long-held ambiguity
towards China that does define it as an enemy. Yet as the US, through its trade
pacts and other relations exports its corrupt economic system, China, also
supporting "free trade", will be the ultimate beneficiary. - Tanaka Sakai
(Dec 13, '11)
MARKET RAP
Asia looks
for footing
Taiwan led Asia stocks down as a slightly favorable turn to the region's
short-term indicators offered little comfort given an inability to penetrate
key resistances. From here on, the going could get really tough.
(Dec 9, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
MARKET RAP
Bounce - and
drop
The state of Asian market indexes after last week's long slide, led by Taiwan
with a 6.2% drop, suggests the possibility of a short-term bounce, but across
the region there is little sign of overselling and longer-term weaknesses are
impossible to hide. (Nov 28, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
MARKET RAP
No panic - yet
Asian stock markets this week fell across the board, led by Mumbai, which
despite a more than 5% drop is not yet oversold, with Hong Kong not far behind.
Yet the orderliness and scale of the declines suggest that panic is not in the
air - so far. (Nov 18, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the
week's markets.
Airlines face East-West
fight
The launch of low-cost Air Asia cleared the way for a new style of airline
business in the region. Subsequent growth in passenger numbers and expansion of
land-based infrastructure are now facing headwinds in the shape of taxes and
restrictions in the United States and Europe that could lead to an expensive
East-West face off. - Michael Mackey (Nov 16,
'11)
MARKET RAP
Asia on the slide
Australia was the sole Asia region market to avoid a downturn last week,
scraping into the upside with a mere 0.4% gain, with Hong Kong leading the rest
into negative territory as global trends continue to dominate over regional
considerations. (Nov 14, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
MARKET RAP
Short term looks
good
A downturn in Asian stock markets last week - Shanghai was the only gainer -
nevertheless left a few looking rather positive in the short term. The MISCI
Asia Pacific Index, after a recovery on Friday, appears to be gathering
strength for an attempt at a further move upward. (Nov
7, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
MARKET RAP
Asian stocks surge
Asian stock markets showed an overall surge of more than 7%, led by a
double-digit jump in Hong Kong (which now is looking rather overbought) and not
far behind, Shanghai. Malaysia played the laggard with a mere 3% gain.
Short-term technical indicators strengthened throughout the week.
(Oct 28, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
MARKET RAP
Asian stocks decline
Despite a poor last week for Asian markets, short-term indicators improved
slightly. Shanghai reversed the previous week's gains with a near 5% decline,
and only Seoul managed to stay in positive territory.
(Oct 24, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
MARKET RAP
Asia recovers - for now
Asian stocks last week had their strongest weekly advance in nearly seven
months, as global financial dynamics swamped any local factors. Hong Kong is
now showing a near 14% recovery from its recent low early in the month, but
there - as elsewhere - resistance is not far away. (Oct
17, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
SPEAKING FREELY
Is Asia the light of the future?
Communist-cum-free market China, democratic but caste-ridden India,
nuclear-stricken Japan, opium-ridden Afghanistan, and the vast oil and gas
reserves of central Asia and the Middle East crescent, form a landscape full of
opportunities and existing or potential conflicts. What the appropriation of
the paradigm of science achieved was globalization that is building a common
destiny for all. - Nicholas A Biniaris (Oct
3, '11)
MARKET RAP
Asian markets darken
Asian stocks have ended their worst month in just short of three years.
Shanghai and Hong Kong notably put in grim performances over the past week,
when even the 4%-plus gain in Seoul was insufficient to suggest that some
respite might be in sight. (Oct 3, '11)
R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets.
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