Planned cuts to SocGen just a start as trading unit might need radical restructuring
“I trade therefore I lose.” This version of René Descartes' famous maxim is probably not what Société Générale had in mind when naming its proprietary trading unit after the 17th Century French philosopher. Yet low returns are what the division tended to deliver. Closing it down, and pulling out of commodities trading, is a logical but insufficient response to SocGen's mediocre investment banking performance.
India's demographic dividend may risk turning into a time bomb
If India cannot speed up reforms to create employment opportunities and accumulate national wealth, then after two or three decades, it will face disastrous consequences as the population ages. At that time, India will be an aging and poor country. That's why it must now find a way to clear this “demographic time bomb.”
US can't be Myanmar's bargaining chip against China
A team of US economists, diplomats and lawyers was dispatched to Myanmar to “scrutinize contracts, flag bad deals, and empower the country to push for better terms with Chinese agencies and companies,” the Wall Street Journal reported, amid concerns that a Chinese-funded deep water port may land Myanmar in a so-called debt trap.
What is the truth about the Indian economy?
India will kick off a six-week-long election starting Thursday. As the election nears, the debate over the Indian economic situation has revved up. The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has turned in a shining record as GDP growth from 2014 to 2018 remained steadily at and above 6.7 percent, placing it in the top spot among major economies.
Shareholders will bear the costs as more countries pass laws regulating online content
Tech companies and open-internet campaigners think of the web as a neutral, global platform. That vision may become a relic of the past as countries including Britain and Australia speed through their own standards for acceptable online videos, pictures and articles. As new laws give teeth to local regulators, web groups' margins may suffer.
Will Vietnam become the next 'world's factory' as production moves away from China?
The Vietnamese economy has been touted as a major beneficiary of the US-China trade war as companies are reportedly relocating factories to Vietnam to rebuild their supply chains. Whether the Southeast Asian country can replace China to become the next “world's factory” has become a hot topic of discussion.
Rational China approach can boost Indian jobs
During the 2014 election campaign, India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the country had been led through “10 years of jobless growth by the Congress-led UPA Government,” and promised that after coming to power, it would “accord high priority to job creation,” according to Indian media reports. Five years later, similar accusations over “jobless growth” have rebounded on the BJP itself, as the Congress party highlights job creation in its election manifesto.
Saudi Aramco is big, but not big enough when it comes to hitting target valuation
Saudi Aramco is enormous – staggeringly so. Yet by one measure that matters a lot – the $2 trillion valuation envisaged by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – it's still not enormous enough.
AI governance opens Pandora's box of questions
On the sidelines of the last World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Singapore's minister of communications and information quietly announced the launch of the world's first national framework for governing artificial intelligence. While the global media have glossed over this announcement, its significance reaches well beyond the borders of Singapore or the Swiss town where it was made. It is an example that the rest of the world urgently should follow – and build upon.
Tougher regulations needed to stave off risks haunting Chinese online financing platforms
As a growing number of internet financing platforms get shut down for their inability to pay back investors, so macro oversight must be stepped up in order to stave off accumulating risks that may hamstring the security and stability of the country's financial system.
Measuring China-Djibouti ties with money shows narrow mind
Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh now has a deep impression of a Chinese carpenter who lived 2,400 years ago. The opening ceremony of a workshop named after carpenter Lu Ban was held recently in the tiny African nation, during which Guelleh said the workshop will “further enhance the competitiveness of Djibouti through the development of successful young talent.”
Stockpiled inventories and weaker demand are two clouds eclipsing Samsung investors' silver lining
Samsung Electronics investors seem to be focused on the silver linings rather than two big clouds. South Korea's $270 billion semiconductor manufacturer already flagged a dismal first quarter because of a glut in memory chips. A more concentrated market means supply cuts could lift prices, but it may take time to overcome stockpiled inventories and weaker demand.
Smear on BRI production cooperation proves invalid
At the very beginning of the launch of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), some foreign media were keen to interpret the initiative in a negative tone, misleading international public opinion.
Malpass ought not shift World Bank's priorities
David Malpass, US President Donald Trump's choice to be the next World Bank president, won unanimous approval from the institution's executive board recently, adding uncertainty to future collaboration between the development lender and China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Ice Silk Road framework welcomed by countries, sets new direction for Arctic cooperation
Since the end of the Cold War, and especially since the beginning of the new century, the Arctic has become one of the concerns of international politics and global governance. At present, with the Arctic region facing some new trends, Arctic governance and cooperation have been struggling to move forward.
AstraZeneca takes precision approach to painless expansion into new cancer treatment area
AstraZeneca is taking a precision approach in the race to treat cancer. The UK drugmaker in March said it will pay up to $6.9 billion to work with Daiichi Sankyo on a treatment for breast cancer. Compared to the risk of an acquisition, it's a relatively painless way of expanding in a hot area.
Overproduction remains top risk for Chinese companies
What are the most significant risks Chinese companies face today? Some may highlight potential woes involving human resources, finance, property, production, supply and demand. Of course, they are crucial.
Ice Silk Road sets new direction for Arctic cooperation
Since the end of the Cold War, and especially since the beginning of the new century, the Arctic has become one of the concerns of international politics and global governance. At present, with the Arctic region facing some new trends, Arctic governance and cooperation have been struggling to move forward.