BEIJING | By Iris Mir | China turns into a urban nation. A transformation that entails a dramatic achievement and a challenge without precedents in the world. As cities become better places to live they become more expensive too, to the extent that people can’t afford the luxury of inhabiting these mega-cities. Without a fairer model, which fosters job creation and an equal access to resources, urbanization risks  undermining the country’s transition towards domestic consumption.
Taking the Shine off Gold
BEIJING |Â By Wang Yuqian and Yang Lu (Caixin Magazine) |Â What caused the precipitous decline in the price of the precious metal? And how do analysts in China see it? Three experts come up with different explanations, from investor panic triggered by the European debt crisis to, more bizarrely, a conspiracy theory that the U.S. government orchestrated the collapse.
Apple apologies to Chinese consumers: clues to understand the soap opera
An Apple bashing campaign orchestrated by a protectionist government or a real reaction from consumers? The truth is Tim Cook made an unusual move on Monday apologizing to Chinese customers over the company’s warranty policy.
China enters EU utilities market through Portugal
LISBOA| By José Alves | Capital Madrid| How the European Union prevents Russia from accessing strategic sectors, but when it comes to China the governments just seem to look away and open the door.
China faces social challenges, at last
BEIJING | In his last speech the outgoing Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, acknowledged the social challenges China is dangerously facing. The new leadership will have to deal with local governments and State Owned Enterprises ready to defend their current status quo and likely to be sceptical about any form of reform.
China keeps exceeding expectations
By CaixaBank analysts | China exceeds expectations with 7.9% growth in GDP year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2012. Indicators confirm that Chinese exports picked up again in December.
China needs more than just exports
China’s economic miracle was possible thanks to three decades of cheap manufacturing and exports. Thousands of workers left their villages to become the cheap labour force of China’s southern cities. Now this is a thing of the past.
China’s growth: the glass half full or half empty?
China’s growth for 2012 was released by mid-January: an overall growth of a 7.8% with a slight increase of 0.1 points for the last quarter, topping a 7.9%. The widely expected figure was the lowest since 1999. But is this a negative or a positive sign?
China comes to Latin America
By Trevor Cohen | Latin America has suffered centuries of resource exploitation at the hands of foreign powers, without translating gains to the majority of the population. However, there are signs that the effects of China’s appetite for these same resources may break the disastrous boom bust cycles of the past. Â
China begins a new cycle
BEIJING | Great social and economic inequalities could jeopardise the plans of making of internal consumption the main engine of growth. The figures released before the end of the year warned of the growing gap between the rich and the poor.
