China

China’s top official newspaper The People’s Daily is taking aim at the United States with a newly unveiled column initially called “The Dishonest American Series”, in what appears to be the latest media campaign to target US enterprises. The column, which is published in English and Chinese, was later renamed as “Americans You Don't Know Of”, an apparent move by the paper to tone down the indecorous wording. Written by the paper’s Chinese news staff in New York, the series so far includes six articles lashing out at practices from greedy corporate culture to companies’ disdain for customers. The English version of the column has retained the original title. In an editor's note, the paper indicated that the column aimed to help the Chinese foster a better understanding of America and its people: A screenshot of People's Daily's column: The Dishonest Americans Series From editor: Most Chinese people think that Americans are honest, reliable, and righteous. But once you live in the country for a while, you may discover the descriptions above are a bit misleading. Today’s topic, “The Dishonest Americans Series”, does not refer to all Americans. We want to unveil some incidents and Americans we have encountered, so to provide a more objective picture of what the US and Americans are really like. The US arm of the People’s Daily launched the column in March 2013, but public attention was brought to the column only recently when a number of news portals reposted the newest installment, which described a Chinese passenger’s run-in with airport staff in New York and United Airlines’ refusal to refund him after he wasn't allowed to board a plane to China.The airline company has faced curt criticism from passengers for its alleged poor service and frequent flight cancellations. United Airlines has issued an apology that the passenger said was “insincere”, according to the article. Generally, ordinary Chinese view America positively. Hollywood movies and American high-tech products enjoy enormous popularity in China. According to a 2012 poll by GALLUP, a US-based consulting firm, China tops the world's list of immigrants who want to move to the US. It seems likely China is seeking to edge out America's influence by unleashing periodic media criticism toward its businesses. In March 2013, Chinese state media accused Apple of discriminating against its China customers, forcing Apple CEO Tim Cook to issue an apology after a week-long media blitz to bash the technology giant. Such moves were often met with online backlash, as was the case of the column by the People's Daily. Lei Yi, a prominent Chinese historian weighed in, writing [zh] on the popular microbloging service Sina Weibo sarcastically: ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????“????” Thirty years ago, we were educated that Americans all lived in extreme misery, but American people were good, they were waiting to be liberated by us. Thirty years later, we are educated that Americans are dishonest and not reliable. Ding Laifeng, a former subeditor for a magazine, had [zh] the following ironic remarks:  ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????? “People's Daily column: Dishonest Americans” I don't know if you believe it, I do. American officials are widely corrupt, they send their children to other countries to enjoy good lives, they themselves have mistresses and rape young girls, isn't this dishonest?! The US government keeps on saying they are for the people, but they impose different taxes and loot others, they have special supply of food but let common people consume swill-cooked oil and poisonous rice, isn't this unreliable!? I have to angrily give thumbs-up to People's Daily!! Xie Ming, a Weibo user from Shanghai, alluded [zh] to the fact that many high-ranki

Thailand faced a stiff challenge from Puerto Rico before subduing their rivals in five hard-fought sets to finish second overall in the China International Women's Volleyball Tournament second leg in Shenzhen, China, on Friday.

Bloomberg tells the story behind the Vietnamese work that almost got lost in the auction house’s estimation process: When the British seller of the 1932 work by Nguyen Phan Chanh entitled “La Marchand de Riz” — The Rice Seller — took it to Christie’s in London, it was mistakenly identified by a trainee as an unsigned Chinese work. After it was forwarded to experts in Asia they recognized the painting by the artist’s signature on the back of the canvas and valued it at between HK$800,000 and HK$1 million. “The provenance is impeccable,” Jean-Francois Hubert, Christie’s senior consultant for Vietnamese art, said in the salesroom. “It’s in its original frame by Parisian framer Gardin and it was exhibited in 1934 in Napoli.” Hong Kong-based dealer Pascal de Sarthe purchased the painting at the auction, Hubert said. Vietnamese Painting Sells for Record $390,000 at Christie’s HK (Bloomberg)

It appears as though Kanye West has officially welcomed China to the good life. A new report by Nielsen illustrates that Chinese customers are showing an increasing affinity for premium products, refusing to leave anything out. They are spending more on everything from skin moisturizer to baby formula to banking. An ordinary toothbrush? Don’t even think about it. Research elucidates that the Chinese are perfectly willing to spend more and trade up to premium products that they perceive as higher quality or status. Their growing buying power is what is driving the rapid sales growth in China. NEW! Discover a new stock idea each week for less than the cost of 1 trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW! And the Chinese are not discriminating. They’re willing to spend more for fast-moving consumer groups and trading up in almost every category. As Lynn Xu, vice president of Nielsen BASES and Nielsen Greater China, puts it, “Chinese consumers have developed a more sophisticated taste for life.” That must be nice. But how can the Chinese afford all of these luxuries? The answer: China has seen a fourfold increase in average household income in just over a decade. Nielsen explains, “Between 2000 and 2012, disposable annual income in China jumped from an average of 6,280 RMB ($1,022 USD) to 24,564 RMB ($3,999 USD), according to the Chinese government. And in just the past three years, total assets in Chinese banks have grown 146 percent.” NEW! Discover a new stock idea each week for less than the cost of 1 trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW! Now that the Chinese have more disposable income, they’re ready to focus more on product quality and safety, not only in the stores, but also on the roads, as evidenced by the tripling sales of luxury cars in the past five years. Nielsen research even shows that that luxury car and luxury SUV sectors are growing at a faster rate than the total market. The Chinese are like dream consumers, and the country’s growing number of millionaires and billionaires are not the only ones responsible for this reputation. Average-income consumers are cashing in on the premium products just as much, if not more than the wealthy. Don’t Miss: Here Are Some Surprising Findings About Hunger In America. Read the original article from Wall St. Cheat Sheet

Raising women to be leaders, an article by Carol Hymowitz, in the Jan 12, 2007 WSJ, features the four Sullivan sisters: Denise Sullivan, president of Campbell, USA; Maggie Sullivan Wildrotter, CEO of Citizens Communication; Colleen Bastkowski, regional vp at Expedia; and Andrea Doelling, former senior vp at AT&T Wireless. This kind of success among brothers is rare, and among sisters is phenomenal, says the story. In senior posts men outnumber women by almost 6 to 1. The sisters had the benefit of being raised by two professionally successful parents who took an early interest in their futures. They were taught to aim high, start early, analyze their mistakes and try again....they continued to help each other as they grew. In short, they had good advisers and did not succeed alone....Their father "imbued them with his intense work ethic and encouraged them to be independent and determined and to cultivate big goals." Their mother taught them "ambition is part of femininity." Kathleen Rich-New Contrast this to the story I read today of a man arrested for abusing his young son, by beating him after he lost a football game. He influenced his son, but not in a way we'd like. Dad's influence Dad was an AT & T exec. Dad took the girls to the office before "Take your daughter to work day." Dad showed getting ahead requires changing jobs frequently to gain broad experience. Dad asked the girls to read and write a report on a book each week. He also expected A's in school. Dad shared what he knew about business, including marketing, how products go launched and setting profit-margin goals. Dad enforced early morning exercise. Mom's influence Mom became a real estate mogul after her youngest daughter started school. Mom made them analyze their mistakes and try again. Both parents Encouraged their involvement in extra-curricular activities. Made them earn their allowance as teenagers. Carol Hymowitz I'm a believer in expecting my kids to do their best. By this I don't mean putting excruciatingly long hours into things that are not their talents, but to develop their own talents to the best of their ability at their own pace. It can't be forced. A child incapable of A's cannot get A's. And it is nearly impossible to get all A's in subjective subjects, such as English or creative writing. It's easy to see if a math problem is right or wrong, not so easy to see whether a paper is as good as it gets. One of my Chinese children is a hard worker. She either gets A's or D's depending on if she understands it yet. She gets stronger each year. She is one who didn't/doesn't like to read, but again, she is developing this at her own pace. I would have had to force her as a toddler to listen to a book being read. So, I didn't read to her very often. I'd try it every so often, then let it go. I didn't want her to associate reading with anything but happiness. I knew she would read once she got in school, and she would listen to books in a group. I suspect part of this is not having books that interested her yet, and not having the reading skills to read what she might like. OTOH, she is doing a more than lovely job playing the cello. Practicing on her own and delighting in it. She is the only one who smiled ear to ear through her whole performance -- she was genuinely happy. It was obvious she was in her zone. I was raised to be a career woman, but my role model was my mother who was a SAHM. I have worked, all except for two weeks between my first degree and my first job, since I was 11. I've been in a corporation, owned my own business(es), and then managed to have a career and be at home. At the time I was in corporate life, there wasn't any flexibility, despite the talk they talked -- it wasn't walked. What surprised me was having my first child. Who knew that a career would then take a back seat. It took more to raise him than working in a career, because it took all of me. I realized then that I could

Eirik Bjørn Olson played a central role in introducing the Japanese to Salmon. He saw a opportunity for the Norwegian Salmon export and started ‘Project Japan’, where he promoted all kinds of seafood to Japanese people. Initially, Japanese said the Japanese wouldn’t eat raw salmon. The Norwegians pushed for ten years and never expected it was going to be that big. Now you can eat Salmon Nigiri in every city. ? Youtube - Is salmon nigiri sushi from norway?

Fisker Automotive was one of several companies that got big loans from the U.S. Department of Energy's stimulus program. But now, it's near bankruptcy -- and one of the potential buyers is the same Chinese company that also bought A123 Systems, the failed company that made Fisker's hybrid-car batteries. In this video, Fool contributor John Rosevear looks at the buyout rumors swirling around Fisker -- and at the potential consequences of having a Chinese company end up with two of America's taxpayer-funded green-tech companies. The best investing approach is to choose great companies and stick with them for the long term. The Motley Fool's free report "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich" names stocks that could help you build long-term wealth and retire well, along with some winning wealth-building strategies that every investor should be aware of. Click here now to keep reading.

On Tuesday, Tiffany will release its latest quarterly results. Given how well the stock has been doing lately, will the company be able to satisfy investors looking for continued strong performance from the jewelry-maker, or will a surprise shortfall send shares plunging? The high-end luxury market held up far better during the recession than retail companies aiming further down the income chain, and Tiffany was one of the big beneficiaries from that trend. Concerns about a slowdown in China has had more of an impact on the jewelry company, although even Asian economic weakness hasn't held back its shares. Let's take an early look at what's been happening with Tiffany over the past quarter and what we're likely to see in its quarterly report. Stats on Tiffany Analyst EPS Estimate $0.52 Change From Year-Ago EPS (19%) Revenue Estimate $855.14 million Change From Year-Ago Revenue 4.4% Earnings Beats in Past 4 Quarters 1 Source: Yahoo! Finance. Will Tiffany's challenges be a one-time event this quarter? In recent months, Tiffany has had analysts downgrade its earnings prospects, although they've focused on short-term cuts. For the April quarter, analysts have cut estimates by 20%, but for the full fiscal-year, a $0.03 reduction in expectations amounts to less than 1%. Meanwhile, the shares have continued their upward run, rising nearly 20% since late February. Tiffany did a good job defying the U.S. economic slowdown, and thus far, it has also defied the economic slowdown in Asia as well. Despite overall flat same-store sales and profits that rose only slight during its fourth quarter, Tiffany saw 13% higher sales in its Asia-Pacific region. In addition, the company managed to give guidance expressing optimism that its earnings would recover by the end of the current fiscal year. One key to Tiffany's success has been its realization that its brand-value is an essential asset. Companies throughout the luxury-retail industry learned from Tiffany's mistake during the financial crisis, when it introduced lower-priced merchandise to try to draw in a wider customer base. That move backfired, and now, both Tiffany and handbag and accessories maker Coach have figured out that discounting is almost never the right move, with Coach in particular having drawn big international growth by maintaining the integrity of its high-end brand. Yet the concern that many people have about Tiffany is its valuation. Admittedly, red-hot Michael Kors sports an earnings multiple that at 35 is well above Tiffany's mid-20s level. Yet Kors has the potential for 30% growth over the next several years, while Tiffany is much more of a mature business. Meanwhile, Coach trades at a much more reasonable 16 times trailing earnings despite having similar growth potential. In Tiffany's report, watch for the company to discuss the long-term impact of much lower prices for gold and other precious metals. If Tiffany can avoid having to pass through input-cost declines in order to stay competitive, the yellow metal's move down could support further gains for Tiffany. As well-known as Tiffany is, Michael Kors is one of today's hottest high-end fashion brands, and that's translated into one of the best-performing stocks in retail -- since its debut on the market in late 2011, the share price has more than doubled. But with all that growth, has the stock finally become too expensive, or is there still room left to run? The Motley Fool's premium report on Michael Kors gives investors all the information they need to make the right decision. We cover the key must-watch areas, opportunities, and threats to the company that investors need to know. To claim your copy, simply click here now for instant access. Click here to add Tiffany to My Watchlist, which can find all of our Foolish analysis on it and all your other stocks.

By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER, England, May 25 (Reuters) - Spain's Alejandro Canizares is hoping to pull off a remarkable victory at the PGA Championship, three and a half weeks after being diagnosed with viral meningitis. The 30-year-old admitted it was "scary" when he became ill on a flight from the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea to the China Open at the start of the month. "I started getting headaches, didn't attach too much importance to it, but the next day I woke up with the biggest headache I've had in my life," Canizares told Reuters in an interview on Saturday. ...

CHINESE Premier Li Keqiang said China is ready to work with Germany "to enhance mutual understanding and trust," as he arrived there on an official visit yesterday. Germany is the only European Union country in Li's first overseas tour since taking office."Germany is the first EU country I've visit since taking office as Chinese premier, which shows the new Chinese leadership highly values China's relations with Germany and Europe," Li said in a statement released upon arrival.Both China and Germany are countries with important influence in the world, and it is China's strategic choice and long-term policy to develop friendly cooperation with Germany, Li said.China, he said, is ready to work with the German side to enhance mutual understanding and trust, expand cooperation and strengthen communication and coordination on global and regional affairs, so as to advance their strategic partnership as well as China-EU ties.Li will meet with President Joachim Gauck and hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel. He will deliver a speech at a business luncheon and meet leading political and business figures.Li and Merkel will also officially launch "the Year of Languages" program between their countries.And to further expand bilateral cooperation, a series of documents will be signed regarding cooperation in such fields as energy conservation.Li traveled to Germany from Switzerland, where on Friday he and Swiss President Ueli Maurer signed a memorandum of understanding on concluding negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement between China and Switzerland. The two sides also announced the establishment of a financial dialogue mechanism.Yesterday, before he left Switzerland Li stressed the significance of innovation and called for more technological cooperation between enterprises, during a visit to the Einstein House museum in Bern. Innovation can create immeasurable wealth, Li saidGermany is the last leg of Li's trip, which has also taken him to India and Pakistan.