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China Economics Trend Watching

Living in China: Shanghai now more expensive than New York

Tokyo is still the world’s most expensive city to live in and Oslo and Osaka still make the top five, but the Worldwide Cost of Living 2011 survey just released from the Economist Intelligence Unit also revealed some dramatic changes in the last year […]

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China Consumer Behavior Economics Trend Watching

China, Socialism & Consumer Behavior: China to cut tax on luxury goods

China, already the world’s second-largest luxury goods market, will soon slash import duties on “opulent items” to encourage wealthy local shoppers to buy more pricey cosmetics, watches and liquor […]

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China Consumer Behavior Economics Trend Watching

China, Socialism & Consumer Behavior: Chinese billionaires are booming

People of Chinese origin have become the second largest group of billionaires behind the United States, Forbes China said recently […]

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China Economics Trend Watching

Living in China: Chinese ‘struggling’ according to well-being survey

According to Gallup’s 2010 global wellbeing survey, only 12 percent of people on China’s mainland judged themselves to be thriving, the same level as countries such as Afghanistan and Yemen […]

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Economics Trend Watching

China, Technology and the Environment: Electricity generation up by 15%

China boosted electricity generation to a seven-month high in March/2011 […]

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China Consumer Behavior Economics Trend Watching

China, Socialism & Consumer Behavior: Chinese mainland tourists big spenders overseas

More mainland tourists are expected to spend money on overseas travel in 2011, according to a report released to the national tourism authority recently […]

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China Consumer Behavior Economics Trend Watching

China, Socialism & Consumer Behavior: luxury market grows 23% in 2010

Luxury market grows 23 percent in 2010 from 68 billion yuan (US$10.2 billion) in 2009, with the younger generation driving sales […]

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China Economics Innovation Trend Watching

Watch Martin Jacques’ “Understanding the rise of China” talk at TED

Speaking at a TED Salon in London, economist Martin Jacques asks: How do we in the West make sense of China and its phenomenal rise? He examines why the West often puzzles over the growing power of the Chinese economy, and offers three building blocks for understanding what China is and will become […]

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China Consumer Behavior Economics Trend Watching

China, Socialism & Consumer Behavior: Designer labels bank on China

A study from American consultancy Bain & Co says that China remains the fastest-growing luxury goods market in the world, with a sales volume of 68.4 billion yuan ($10.27 billion) and an expected increase of 30 percent this year over last year’s takings […]

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China Design Economics Readings Trend Watching

Shanghai World Expo: CHINA PAVILION

The Chinese national pavilion is the largest of its kind at the Expo and most expensive, costing an estimated US$220 million. The 63-meter high pavilion, the tallest structure at the Expo, is called “The Crown of the East,” as it is meant to resemble an ancient Chinese crown with its distinctive roof, made of traditional dougong or brackets, which date back more than 2,000 years […]