Infobrief September 2004 - Asia Pacific Consult KG
Transcription
Infobrief September 2004 - Asia Pacific Consult KG
Infobrief September 2004 ♦♦♦ Aktuelle Information für die Mitglieder der Deutsche Hongkong Gesellschaft e.V. ♦♦♦ Presseschau News.gov.hk, 29.9.2004 HK still a magnet for investors Hong Kong has retained its position as Asia’s second-largest destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), behind the Mainland according to the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development’s “World & Investment Report 2004”. Invest Hong Kong’s Director-General of Investment Promotion Mike Rowse says the report shows that Hong Kong is still an attractive place for business and investors. “Foreign companies continue to find Hong Kong attractive for all the traditional reasons.” (…) Despite the devastating SARS outbreak and significant economic challenges, the FDI flow to Hong Kong reached US$13.6 billion in 2003, up 40% over the US$9.7 billion recorded a year earlier. SCMP, 20.9. 2004 Jiang’s departure sees the curtain rise on a new era A new era began on the mainland yesterday, with Jiang Zemin giving up his last post as Chairman of the Central Military Commission to make way for president Hu Jintao, completing the first orderly transfer of power since 1949. Mr. Jiang’s resignation was accepted by the Central Committee, which praised him for his 15-year service as the country’s top leader. (…) President Hu Jintao was elected the commission Chairman, becoming the mainland’s undisputed leader commanding the party, state and armed forces. Handelsblatt, 14.9.2004 Hongkongs Demokraten verfehlen ihr Wahlziel Das demokratische Lager in Hongkong hat bei der mit Spannung erwarteten Parlamentswahl am Sonntag seine hoch gesteckten Ziele nicht erreicht. Nach dem offiziellen Wahlergebnis entfielen 60 Prozent der 1,8 Mill. abgegebenen Stimmen auf Politiker der Demokratiebewegung, die damit 18 von 30 in freier und direkter Wahl vergebenen Sitzen gewannen. Das ist nur ein Sitz mehr als bei der letzten Wahl – trotz der Rekordwahlbeteiligung von 56 Prozent. 30 weitere Sitze im Legislative Council (Legco), dem Stadtparlament der Sonderverwaltungszone werden aber von beruflich definierten Interessengruppen vergeben, die der Zentralregierung in Peking nahe stehen. Hier erhielten demokratisch gesinnte Politiker nur sieben Sitze, so dass im Legco 25 Vertreter des demokratischen Lagers 34 pekingfreundlichen Parlamentariern gegenüber stehen, bei einem unabhängigen Abgeordneten. Börsenzeitung 14.8.2004 Finanzplatz Hongkong muss sich gegen Singapur und Shanghai behaupten Hongkong, lange das Tor nach China, steht mit Singapur und Shanghai im scharfen Wettbewerb um den Rang, wichtigster regionaler Finanzplatz zu sein. Zurzeit liegt die ehemalige britische Kolonie dank seiner effizienten Börse, seiner gesunden Banken sowie seiner unabhängigen Justiz klar in Führung. Singapur teilt zwar alle diese Vorteil, doch liegt der Stadtstaat wegen seiner geografischen Lage klar hinten und sucht heute seine Rolle als Dienstleistungszentrum in Südostasien zu stärken. Shanghai hingegen ist dabei, zu Hongkong aufzuschließen und sollten die Wachstumsraten auf dem Festland nachhaltig sein, könnte die Stadt schon in wenigen Jahren die Pole Position über nehmen. SCMP, 9.9.2004 Foreign firms struggling to get land Foreign firms are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain industrial land in China as the central government has closed thousands of industrial parks and frozen land sales. (…) The government launched a crackdown on illegal use of land for construction projects in May. The campaign, which aims to conserve agricultural land and protect farmers from forced and uncompensated eviction, dovetails with broader government goals to cool the over-heating economy. Hong Kong Trader, 1.9.2004 Soaring GDP points to robust growth for rest of the year Hong Kong has entered into a fullyfledged recovery in the second quarter of the year with double-digit gross domestic Tel. 069/ 95772 311 ·e-mail: [email protected] www.hongkong-gesellschaft.de product (GDP) growth and a flurry of positive economic indicators, pointing to a strong growth momentum for the rest of the year. The economy grew 12 per cent year on year in the second quarter, significantly up from 7 per cent in the first quarter and was the fastest growth in four years. The robust numbers prompted the Government to revise its full year GDP forecast to 7.5 per cent from 6 per cent. Acting Government economist Elly Mao said: “We believe 7.5 per cent growth is achievable. At the same time, we should see inflation coming back, although not by too much.” Unternehmen Hong Kong Trader, 30.9.2004 Airport pledges to stay cheaper, faster, better Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) must increase market space and create critical mass to maintain its competitive edge, according to the commercial director of the Airport Authority Hans Bakker. With the recent opening of Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, southern China – with handling capacity of 25 million passengers a year and 1 million tonnes of cargo – Hong Kong inevitably faces many challenges to stay on top as a leading aviation hub. Scmp.com, 22.9.2004 HSBC sticks to its „long game” HSBC, which is “building” rather than “buying” an expanded investment banking operation, has the balance sheet and corporate relationships to make the organic strategy work – especially in Asia, says John Studzinski, co-head of the group’s newly emerging investment banking unit. But that did not mean, as some Wall Street rivals have complained, that it would use cut-price loans to secure investment banking deals, he said. “We do not lend, and we will not lend, as a calling card for other business,” he said. The target that Mr Studzinki’s unit, Corporate Investment Banking & Markets (CIBM), has set for itself in Asia is to be ranked among the top three investment banks in equity, mergers and acquisitions, and debt within the next four years. SCMP, 18.9.2004 Hutchison unit beats rivals for $4.7b expansion of Thai port A consortium led by Hutchison Port Holdings yesterday won the backing of Thai port officials to build and manage a $4,7 billion expansion of the country’s only deepwater port. The 30year concession at the port Laem Chabang – which must be approved by the Thai cabinet – calls for Hutchison’s international port investment arm to spend $3.2 billion developing six berths SCMP, 11.9.2004 PCCW eyes mass residential market PCCW chairman Richard Li appears poised to follow his father Li Ka-shing, into the competitive fray of Hong Kong’s mass residential property market. PCCW’s Pacific Century Premium Developments (PCPD), which earlier signalled its intention to re-develop some of its parent’s telephone exchange buildings into mass and upmarket residential developments, is now toying with the idea of bidding for two residential lots that are due for government auction next month. 9.9.2004 HK-Beijing deal opens mainland to Cathay Hong Kong and Beijing signed a landmark deal yesterday that will raise the number of airlines allowed to serve the mainland and ultimatively add 400 flights a week to meet the growing demand for leisure and business travel. The deal allow Cathay Pacific to apply immediately for more flights to Beijing and for Cargo services to Shanghai. It will be allowed to fly passengers between Hong Kong and Shanghai in 2006. FAZ, 31.8.2004 AEG Elektrowerkzeuge gehen nach Hongkong Der schwedische Maschinenbaukonzern verkauft seinen Geschäftszweig Elektrowerkzeuge mit den Marken AEG und Milwaukee an die in Hongkong ansässige Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.. Der Kaufpreis liegt den Angaben zufolge bei 713 Millionen amerikanischen Dollar. Hang Seng Index am 30. September 2004 13,120.03 Punkte Tel. 069/ 95772 311 e-mail: [email protected] www.hongkong-gesellschaft.de Feature: Global Oil Prices – Implications for Hong Kong Recently, crude oil futures smashed the US$50 benchmark to make a new record, amid worries over production interruptions in Nigeria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, exacerbated by a supply squeeze due to hurricanes in the US. Soaring oil prices, which have grown by over 50% since the beginning of 2004, will undoubtedly have a negative influence on the world economy, which has shown signs of easing already. In turn, this is expected to have an impact, albeit limited, on Hong Kong. Given the dominant role of the service sector, the direct impact of higher crude prices on the Hong Kong economy should be relatively moderate. While domestic consumption will soften somewhat amid increasing energy and transportation costs, the impact on the economy as a whole will be less than that of two decades ago. In 1980, Hong Kong's retained imports of petroleum and petroleum products accounted for about 5% of Hong Kong's GDP. Last year, the share dropped to only 2%. With the relocation of most manufacturing plants to the mainland, the reliance of Hong Kong's domestic economy on petroleum and related energy products has reduced dramatically. More importantly, surging oil prices feed through to the Hong Kong economy amid their negative impact on world growth. While overseas demand has remained strong so far, if stubbornly high oil prices trigger a contraction of consumption in major markets, Hong Kong exports will be affected. Meanwhile, high oil prices will create more cost pressure on Hong Kong exporters and manufacturers, who have already seen increasing prices on plastic raw materials and other petrochemical products. Higher input prices certainly jack up production cost, and bite into the profit margins of exporters, as most of them are unable to transfer the entire rise to their customers for fear of losing business. The extent of impact from oil price increase differs from one product sector to another. One determining factor is the material components of the whole product itself. For instance, as plastic is the essential material for making many types of toys, production cost is very much affected by the fluctuation of petrochemical products. Not surprisingly, it is reported that commonly used plastic raw materials used in toy manufacturing have registered a 50% price rise since January this year. High crude prices are exerting a negative impact on the world economy, and will continue to do so in the medium term. Nonetheless, the effect is unlikely to be substantial. According to the latest assessment made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), rising oil prices are expected to slow the global economy, but not enough to derail continued modest world growth. Taking into account the oil factor, it forecasts the global economy to grow by 5% in 2004, and 4.3% in 2005. The spillover effect on Hong Kong should thus be rather contained. etc. • City life sends mainland elite to early grave Big–city life is proving deadly for mainlanders. Up to 75 per cent of urban Chinese suffer from ill health, and well educated city dwellers are living 14 years less than the national average. In a survey of 16 Chinese cities with populations greater than 1 million, the Red Cross Society of China found that 75 per cent of Beijing residents were in poor health, along with 73 per cent of those in Shanghai and Guangzhou. (SCMP, 21.9.2004) • Fire-and-hire attitude costs HK $39b a year When it comes to hiring the right people and training them for the job, Hong Kong bosses come off worst in a survey of seven economies. Their poor hiring practices cost them $39 billion a year – or 3 per cent of the city’s output. The alarm was raised yesterday by British-based SHL, a manpower assessment company, which commissioned the survey found that Hong Kong managers spent a fifth of their time correcting mistakes made by their staff and that one in four employees left their job before they became competent at it. The vicious cycle caused by high staff turnover and the constant hiring of unsuitable people translated into staggering economic losses. (SCMP, 23.9.2004) Redaktion: Daniela Konrad Tel. 069/ 95772 311 e-mail: [email protected] www.hongkong-gesellschaft.de