beyondbrics

beyondbrics http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics Beyond Brics - news and comment on the BRICs countries and other emerging markets - FT.com Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:23:08 +0000 en hourly 1 Tata Motors revamp: will it work? http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/tata-motors-revamp-will-it-work/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/tata-motors-revamp-will-it-work/#comments Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:09:13 +0000 Avantika Chilkoti http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1374182 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Tata-Nano.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1374552" title="Photo: Bloomberg" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Tata-Nano-167x111.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="111" /></a>Tata Motors is trying to stoke demand in the waning passenger vehicle segment by rolling out a slew of revamped models.</p> <p>But will it work?</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/tata-motors-revamp-will-it-work/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/52ZJw7Yy36Q" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/tata-motors-revamp-will-it-work/feed/ 0 Hungary’s muni-bond “haircut” – the government speaks http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/hungarys-muni-bond-haircut-the-government-speaks/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/hungarys-muni-bond-haircut-the-government-speaks/#comments Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:25:38 +0000 Kester Eddy http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1374372 <p>As beyondbrics wrote on Wednesday, the Hungarian government’s latest austerity package includes a “tax” on local government bonds held by banks <a title="Hungary’s muni-bond tax: haircut? - beyondbrics" href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/hungarys-muni-bond-tax-haircut/" target="_blank">that looks suspiciously like a haircut</a>.</p> <p>Gabor Orban, state secretary at the finance ministry, responded on Thursday to a beyondbrics request for comment. He says the ministry had thought of giving bondholders a haircut but pulled back for “technical reasons”. His full comment follows.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/hungarys-muni-bond-haircut-the-government-speaks/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/uoU0fC8A6xU" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/hungarys-muni-bond-haircut-the-government-speaks/feed/ 0 Indonesia forest fires: Singapore turns up the heat over smoke pollution http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/indonesia-forest-fires-singapore-turns-up-the-heat-over-smoke-pollution/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/indonesia-forest-fires-singapore-turns-up-the-heat-over-smoke-pollution/#comments Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:19:11 +0000 Ben Bland http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1374362 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/170789470.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1374402" title="Singapore Air Quality Remains Poor From Indonesian Forest Fire Pollution" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/170789470-167x111.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="111" /></a>With <a title="Indonesian forest fires send Singapore pollution soaring" href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/855eeaa6-d8d7-11e2-a6cf-00144feab7de.html" target="_blank">air pollution in Singapore</a> sinking to the worst level ever recorded because of pervasive forest fires in the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the blame game is in full swing.</p> <p>Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s environment minister, has called for “urgent and definitive action” by Indonesia, saying that “Singaporeans have lost patience, and are understandably angry, distressed and concerned”. But with accusations flying, who is really at fault?</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/indonesia-forest-fires-singapore-turns-up-the-heat-over-smoke-pollution/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/QKY_8v50x4o" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/indonesia-forest-fires-singapore-turns-up-the-heat-over-smoke-pollution/feed/ 0 London headlines http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/london-headlines-792/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/london-headlines-792/#comments Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:33:29 +0000 beyondbrics http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1374152 <p>* Asian stocks and currencies join sell-off after Bernanke comments</p> <p>* China cash crunch deepens as PBOC withholds funding</p> <p>* Kremlin seeks to halt fall of rouble and rules out devaluation</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/london-headlines-792/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/KZ53KgpLZQs" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/london-headlines-792/feed/ 0 Local brands pursuing global recognition http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/caa919ac-cd05-11e2-90e8-00144feab7de.html http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/local-brands-pursuing-global-recognition/#comments Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:00:46 +0000 beyondbrics http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1373332 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/2013_May_16_brand_breakout-260x250.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1373362" title="2013_May_16_brand_breakout-260x250" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/2013_May_16_brand_breakout-260x250-167x160.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="160" /></a>Given that emerging markets account for more than 40 per cent of global output, why are there no really well-known global emerging market brands? <em></em></p> <p>Rob Minto of beyondbrics reviews <em>Brand Breakout: how emerging market brands will go global</em>, by Nirmalya Kumar and Jan-Benedict Steenkamp.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/local-brands-pursuing-global-recognition/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/cVc1_TgFUkI" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/20/local-brands-pursuing-global-recognition/feed/ 0 Maduro does Europe http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/maduro-does-europe/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/maduro-does-europe/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:26:17 +0000 Benedict Mander http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1373862 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Maduro-France.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1374022" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Maduro-France-167x120.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="120" /></a>In Nicolas Maduro’s latest attempt to mimic his peripatetic predecessor, Hugo Chavez, he is touring the “Old Continent”, stopping off in France on Wednesday after visits to Portugal and Italy earlier this week.</p> <p>Obviously the former bus driver’s one-on-one with Pope Francis I was a highlight, but so was his announcement that <a title="Venezuela partners with the European group Airbus to boost Conviasa - " href="http://www.vtv.gob.ve/articulos/2013/06/19/conviasa-establece-alianza-con-el-gigante-europeo-airbus-7509.html" target="_blank">he intends to buy “various” airplanes from Airbus</a>.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/maduro-does-europe/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/X1qDbSKokg0" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/maduro-does-europe/feed/ 0 [snap] Brazil states and municipalities give in to protesters, bus and metro fares reduced http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/snap-brazil-states-and-municipalities-give-in-to-protesters-bus-and-metro-fares-reduced/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/snap-brazil-states-and-municipalities-give-in-to-protesters-bus-and-metro-fares-reduced/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:27:13 +0000 Jonathan Wheatley http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1373842 <p>Brazilian media are reporting that Brazilian local governments have agreed to the demands of mass demonstrations over the past fortnight and reversed the 20 centavo (US$0.09) increase in bus and metro fares that sparked the protests.</p> <p><a href="http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/cotidiano/2013/06/1297883-alckmin-e-haddad-decidem-voltar-tarifa-de-onibus-e-metro-para-r-3.shtml" target="_blank">According to Folha de S.Paulo</a>, Geraldo Alckmin, governor of São Paulo state, said the U-turn would demand strenuous efforts and spending cuts in other areas.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/snap-brazil-states-and-municipalities-give-in-to-protesters-bus-and-metro-fares-reduced/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/0bal6PW0_Iw" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/snap-brazil-states-and-municipalities-give-in-to-protesters-bus-and-metro-fares-reduced/feed/ 0 EM sell-off: here we go again? http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/em-sell-off-part-2/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/em-sell-off-part-2/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:32:53 +0000 Pan Kwan Yuk http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1373672 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2012/05/alarm-bell.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-716161" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2012/05/alarm-bell-167x167.jpg" alt="" width="134" height="134" /></a>Emerging market assets suffered another bout of sell-off on Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve <a title="Bernanke sees 2014 end for QE3 - FT" href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/17078b02-d905-11e2-84fa-00144feab7de.html" target="_blank">said it could start reducing the pace of its bond buying programme</a> this year and end it altogether around the middle of next year.</p> <p>The MSCI Emerging Markets Index fell 1.3 per cent to close at its lowest level since last September.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/em-sell-off-part-2/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/ERIYcDQUEUA" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/em-sell-off-part-2/feed/ 0 Hungary’s muni-bond tax: haircut? http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/hungarys-muni-bond-tax-haircut/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/hungarys-muni-bond-tax-haircut/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:16:02 +0000 Kester Eddy http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1373402 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Mihaly-Varga-bberg.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1373542" title="Photo: Bloomberg" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Mihaly-Varga-bberg-167x111.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="111" /></a>Mihaly Varga, Hungary’s finance minister (pictured) who recently promised “an end to unpredictability” for the banking sector, is a man with a conscience.</p> <p>That’s probably the best explanation for why, when he revealed <a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/17/hungary-a-little-extra-tax-for-the-kitty/" target="_blank">the latest of Hungary’s austerity packages on Monday</a>, he avoided the biggest bombshell of the lot. That left assiduous journalists to find later, on the government website, that Hungarian banks that hold municipal debt being taken over by the state will pay a 7 per cent tax for the privilege.</p> <p>How come? Why, the state is a more reliable debtor, of course, says the finance ministry, so banks can release provisions as a result of the transfers.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/hungarys-muni-bond-tax-haircut/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/ShjS1QmZcVU" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/hungarys-muni-bond-tax-haircut/feed/ 0 Agrokor-Mercator deal creates food and retail combine with €7bn sales http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/agrokor-mercator-deal-creates-food-and-retail-combine-with-e7bn-sales/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/agrokor-mercator-deal-creates-food-and-retail-combine-with-e7bn-sales/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:40:11 +0000 Andrew MacDowall http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1373262 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Mercator.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1373492" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Mercator-167x96.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="96" /></a>Ivica Todoric, the bullish owner of<a title="Agrokor website" href="http://www.agrokor.hr/en-GB/About-us/About-us.html"> Agrokor, Croatia’s largest company, </a>has, after many years of wooing, secured a majority stake in Mercator, Slovenia’s biggest retailer and largest employer.</p> <p>Agrokor has announced that it <a title="Agrokor announcement" href="http://www.agrokor.hr/en-GB/News/18-Jun-2013/Agrokor-and-Mercator-sign-Business-Cooperation-Agreement.html?bmlcNzE2LHBcMjQ%3d">has agreed with Mercator shareholders to take a 53.1 per cent stake in the company for €240m</a>. The deal values Mercator at €120 per share, substantially below the €221 Agrokor reportedly offered last year.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/agrokor-mercator-deal-creates-food-and-retail-combine-with-e7bn-sales/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/dhEo0fME_m8" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/agrokor-mercator-deal-creates-food-and-retail-combine-with-e7bn-sales/feed/ 0 Abraaj: a fan of milk http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/abraaj-a-fan-of-milk/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/abraaj-a-fan-of-milk/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:27:37 +0000 Rob Minto http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1373002 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/fan-milk.gif"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1373092" title="Fan Milk | Source: company" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/fan-milk-167x109.gif" alt="" width="167" height="109" /></a>A lot has been written about the potential of the African consumer but there’s not been exactly a flood of deals to demonstrate investor interest.</p> <p>Well, here’s one: the Abraaj group, one of Africa’s larger private equity groups, has snapped up Fan Milk International of Ghana. It’s a vote of confidence for the west African country, which has seen consistently high growth over the last few years, and for the region in general.</p> <a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/abraaj-a-fan-of-milk/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/yjoBd9yVX3I" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/abraaj-a-fan-of-milk/feed/ 0 Brazil’s unrest: should investors worry? http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/brazils-unrest-should-investors-worry/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/brazils-unrest-should-investors-worry/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:11:50 +0000 Jonathan Wheatley http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1372342 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Tropa-de-Choque.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1373082" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Tropa-de-Choque-167x111.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="111" /></a>The scenes have been extraordinary. Not only the size of public demonstrations in Brazil’s major cities over the past week but also the violence with which they were met by supposedly elite police units have made for <a title="Brazil protesters yellow card World Cup - beyondbrics" href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/18/brazil-protests-in-videos/" target="_blank">surprising and shocking viewing</a>.</p> <p>Are investors worried? And should they be?</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/brazils-unrest-should-investors-worry/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/2rAXVz8Uck4" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/brazils-unrest-should-investors-worry/feed/ 0 Africa: commodity exchanges catch on http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/africa-commodity-exchanges-catch-on/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/africa-commodity-exchanges-catch-on/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:48:57 +0000 Eleanor Whitehead http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1372962 <div id="attachment_137311" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 177px"><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Sengalese-farmer-checks-the-market.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1373112" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Sengalese-farmer-checks-the-market-167x111.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="111" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Checking prices</p></div> <p>When Ethiopia <a title="Ethiopia to exchange famine for food FT" href="http://www.ft.com/cms/802ccb86-74ef-11dc-892d-0000779fd2ac.html">set up its commodity exchange in 2008</a>, few observers foresaw the demand it would generate. But five years on, the <a title="ECX website" href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecx.com.et%2F&ei=TsLBUcDhEtHy7AayzIC4Aw&usg=AFQjCNEVMuaT5MVq4LbQ5chLFLfEjt1tAw&bvm=bv.47883778,d.ZGU">ECX </a>has shown that a bourse can help tackle food insecurity in poor nations, and countries are now falling over themselves to replicate its successes.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/africa-commodity-exchanges-catch-on/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/b9zqkIPG4lY" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/africa-commodity-exchanges-catch-on/feed/ 0 Poland ends forex mortgages http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/poland-ends-forex-mortgages/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/poland-ends-forex-mortgages/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:47:00 +0000 Adam Easton http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1372832 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Swiss-border.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1372912" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Swiss-border-167x254.jpg" alt="" width="134" height="203" /></a>Poles seeking to buy a property will soon lose the option of taking out a mortgage in a foreign currency, a widespread practice before the financial crisis.</p> <p>The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) has issued Recommendation “S” on good practice for mortgage banking, effectively killing any possibility of any return to forex lending by limiting such loans to people who actually get paid in Swiss francs or euros.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/poland-ends-forex-mortgages/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/Z1EnMjuyJyA" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/poland-ends-forex-mortgages/feed/ 0 Guest post: consumers as well as the state power Russia’s technology drive http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/guest-post-consumers-as-well-as-the-state-power-russias-technology-drive/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/guest-post-consumers-as-well-as-the-state-power-russias-technology-drive/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:54:05 +0000 beyondbrics http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1370322 <p><em><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Michael-Bayer-2012.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1370432" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Michael-Bayer-2012-167x236.jpg" alt="" width="117" height="165" /></a>By Michael Bayer of Avaya</em></p> <p>The buzz surrounding Russia’s technology scene is dominated by tales of state-funded investment and support for home-grown start-ups, and bustling<a title="Political backlash blamed for woes at Russia's 'Silicon Valley', FT" href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a9d3bd90-c157-11e2-b93b-00144feab7de.html"> technology hubs like Skolkovo, near Moscow.</a> Russia is investing in its future and its IT legacy, including through huge technology infrastructure projects such as the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games.</p> <p>This picture of Russia’s innovation sector as one of state-driven ambition, according to a <a href="../2013/01/18/guest-post-russia-needs-economic-reforms-to-fulfil-high-tech-potential/#axzz2K1e2pBQM" target="_blank">recent beyondbrics post</a> by Dmitry Lisenkov of Rusnano, is however only part of the picture. There are other important changes driving the evolution of this market – not least globalisation and the rise of the Russian consumer.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/guest-post-consumers-as-well-as-the-state-power-russias-technology-drive/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/oJtZ9RdZG3o" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/guest-post-consumers-as-well-as-the-state-power-russias-technology-drive/feed/ 0 GM to China’s wealthy: what you really want is a Caddy http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/gm-to-chinas-wealthy-what-you-really-want-is-a-caddy/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/gm-to-chinas-wealthy-what-you-really-want-is-a-caddy/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:33:14 +0000 Patti Waldmeir http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1372702 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Cadillac-China.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1372712" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Cadillac-China-167x104.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="104" /></a>General Motors is counting on persuading China’s nouveaux riches – some of the world’s most devoted connoisseurs of German luxury in motion – that what they really want is an all-American Cadillac.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/gm-to-chinas-wealthy-what-you-really-want-is-a-caddy/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/cO5PLVZkyCI" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/gm-to-chinas-wealthy-what-you-really-want-is-a-caddy/feed/ 0 Western groups wary of Chinese buyers http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/western-groups-wary-of-chinese-buyers/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/western-groups-wary-of-chinese-buyers/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:46:35 +0000 Kathrin Hille http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1372452 <p align="left"><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Girl-pulling-a-face.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1372642" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/Girl-pulling-a-face-167x212.jpg" alt="" width="134" height="170" /></a>When Wang Jianlin, head of China’s property conglomerate Wanda Group,<a title="WAnda does the deal, beyondbrics" href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/wanda-does-the-deal/"> confirmed a deal Wednesday to acquire the UK’s prized yacht maker Sunseeker, </a>it was probably read by many as evidence of China Inc.’s hunger to snap up targets around the world.</p> <p align="left">But all is not well with outbound M&A by Chinese companies. The buyers may be keen but the targets are not so happy, according to a survey by MSL China, a subsidiary of Publicis, published on Wednesday.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/western-groups-wary-of-chinese-buyers/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/3Tp6zRRZAYE" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/western-groups-wary-of-chinese-buyers/feed/ 0 Kindle: hot in China http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/kindle-hot-in-china/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/kindle-hot-in-china/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:41:21 +0000 Julie Zhu http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1372572 <p><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/151371499.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1372592" title="Amazon Kindle" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/151371499-167x111.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="111" /></a>It’s not just Apple that can generate sales buzz in China for new devices. A couple of weeks on from Amazon’s Kindle launch in China, and the new e-reading devices are becoming hot properties.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/kindle-hot-in-china/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/XEHO71TWI30" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/kindle-hot-in-china/feed/ 0 China: cash squeeze is “critical” http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/china-cash-squeeze-is-critical/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/china-cash-squeeze-is-critical/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:23:26 +0000 Stefan Wagstyl http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1372182 <div id="attachment_1372412" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 177px"><a href="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/ARm-lock-squeeze.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1372412" src="http://blogs.r.ftdata.co.uk/beyond-brics/files/2013/06/ARm-lock-squeeze-167x154.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="154" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Squeeeeeeze</p></div> <p>It’s deliberate. To all intents and purposes, the Chinese authorities on Wednesday confirmed that the cash crunch squeezing the country’s banks is no market aberration but the result of considered central bank action.</p> <p>By consistently withholding funding from banks, the People’s Bank of China has for the past two weeks been driving up short-term interest rates and putting pressure on overextended lenders. And there is no sign of it relenting.</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/china-cash-squeeze-is-critical/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/HjhJ1IC9zk0" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/china-cash-squeeze-is-critical/feed/ 0 New York headlines http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/new-york-headlines-802/ http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/new-york-headlines-802/#comments Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:51:06 +0000 beyondbrics http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/?p=1372392 <p>* China cash crunch deepens as PBOC withholds funding</p> <p>* Brazil to deploy police special forces to contain protests</p> <p>* China’s Wanda in £700m London development</p><a href="http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/new-york-headlines-802/" class="more-link">Continue reading »</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ft/beyond-brics/~4/Pm6hRPj4rlk" height="1" width="1"/> http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/06/19/new-york-headlines-802/feed/ 0