資訊

資訊

綜合Comprehensive

中國成為越南第三大汽車進口來源地

越南《海關報》1月22日報道，2014年，越南進口原裝汽車約7.1萬輛，進口額15.8億美元。其中，自中國進口13805輛，進口額5.4億美元，分別占34%和20%；自韓國進口16794輛，進口額3.17億美元；自泰國進口1.4416萬輛，進口額2.43億美元。中國成為越南第三大汽車進口來源地。

中國—新加坡自貿區聯委會第五次會議在新加坡舉行

2015年1月20-22日，中國—新加坡自貿區聯委會第五次會議在新加坡舉行。雙方就中新自貿協定的進一步補充和完善進行了磋商，并就貨物貿易、服務貿易、投資、技術性貿易壁壘、衛生與植物衛生措施等領域的具體議題交換了意見。

新加坡擬實行更嚴格禁酒令

據媒體報道，新加坡國會目前正審查新的酒類管制法案，這一新法案嚴格禁止酒類銷售及公共場合飲酒，若順利通過國會審查，新法將于2015年4月起生效。

據了解，新的規定將禁止零售商每晚10∶30分至第二天早上7∶00賣酒，且公共場所不能飲酒。餐館、酒店、酒吧、咖啡店等仍可在規定時間內販賣，但不準外帶，此舉將對酒類相關產業造成影響。

菲律賓成為全球最大呼叫服務提供國

2014年，菲律賓取代印度成為全球最大的呼叫服務提供國。據菲律賓呼叫協會統計，2014年呼叫中心收入是117億美元，吸收就業68.6萬人。預計2015年收入將達到135億美元，就業人數達79萬人,預計增長態勢將持續到2016年。

投資Investment

前往泰國拍電影有望享受免稅優惠

泰國媒體1月13日消息，泰國國家電影與視頻委員會近期召開會議，松口同意針對來泰國取景拍攝電影的演員個人和企業減免相關稅收，包括個人所得稅、進口關稅等。這對日益成熟的中泰影視合作是一個福音。

泰國計劃更新海嘯預警系統

近日，泰國災難預警中心表示，計劃在2015年購買新的海上預警浮標，并增設40套警報器和更新電腦系統。該部門的目標是在探測到海嘯可能來襲后，在兩分鐘內向民眾發出海嘯警報。

金融Finance

印尼新銀行法 堅持限制外資投資和互惠原則

印尼《雅加達郵報》2015年1月15日報道，日前，印尼國會負責銀行業監管的官員表示，目前印尼國會新成員將開始對2013年提出的銀行法草案進行審議，在此基礎上制定新銀行法草案，承諾將繼續保護本國銀行業利益，限制外資銀行運營和持股上限，堅持互惠原則。

新加坡人民幣清算行累計清算量突破40萬億

近日，中國工商銀行新加坡分行公布相關數據顯示，截至2014年末，新加坡人民幣清算行累計清算量已突破40萬億元大關，人民幣跨境清算業務實現飛躍式發展。

中馬合力助中國企業“走出去”

2015年1月13日，中國企業走出去發展中心和馬來西亞巴生港自貿區萬商國際貿易聯盟在中國北京簽署合作協議，雙方將在引導中國企業在馬來西亞開展國際貿易和投資、共同促進人民幣與馬幣直接結算、共同推進企業上市及搭建金融合作平臺、共同推進中馬產業基地和貿易平臺建設等方面展開全方位合作。

貿易Trade

緬甸橡膠獲準自由出口

受國際橡膠價格波動影響，緬甸橡膠價格下滑，為促進橡膠出口，緬甸商務部日前已批準橡膠自由出口。

據了解，為阻止天然橡膠價格繼續下跌，泰國、印度尼西亞以及馬來西亞支持的行業集團將邀請柬埔寨、老撾、緬甸以及越南參加2015年2月召開的會議，計劃將推出更多措施來穩定橡膠價格。

文化Culture

中國清宮舊藏首次亮相吉隆坡

近日，由中國文物交流中心與馬來西亞博物館局聯合舉辦的“頤和園珍寶展”在馬來西亞國家博物館舉辦。

“頤和園珍寶展”共展出了72件（組）頤和園文物及12件（組）輔助展品，其中絕大多數文物為清宮舊藏，具有極高的歷史和藝術價值。

交通Transportation

中緬開通貨輪直航

據緬甸《七日日報》2015年1月21日報道，中國海運集團將于2月份開通對緬甸貨輪直航。

中國海運集團緬甸辦事處的負責人介紹，從中國上海首航緬甸的貨輪于2月8日抵達仰光工業港口。直航緬甸的是載重量為1.1萬噸的四艘貨輪，每周將有一艘執行航運任務。

越南建材市場需求回暖

據《西貢解放報》2015年1月18日報道，2014年4月以來，越南建材需求量逐步回升，全年需求量同比增長20-30%。其中，鋼材和水泥銷量明顯增長，價格也略漲。這是越南建材價格連續三年下跌后出現的積極信號。

報道稱，雖然建材需求回暖，但本土企業面臨激烈競爭。2014年，越南以零關稅自東盟進口的鋼材超過4.3萬噸。同時從中國進口大量鋼材，價格僅相當于本土鋼材的60-70%，使得越南建材市場競爭激烈。

農業及食品Agriculture and Food

泰國棕櫚油供應告急，緊急進口5萬噸

泰國中華網1月19日報道，因目前泰國國內棕櫚油儲備量下降且出現供需失衡問題，泰國緊急進口5萬噸棕櫚油，但這不會對國內棕櫚油價格造成沖擊，只為解決當前食用棕櫚油需求緊張局面。

此外，泰國政府還要求棕櫚油能源分煉工廠減產，以減少非食用類棕櫚油消費，轉而供應食用消費市場。目前已經與進口企業進行接觸，增加棕櫚油進口量。直到國內棕櫚油市場供需恢復正常，進口分批次進行。

菲律賓所有航空公司機票價格下降

據菲律賓星報網報道，1月8日，菲律賓眾議院交通委員會決定所有航空公司飛機票價免除燃油附加費。菲律賓民航局隨后證實了該消息，并表示，菲律賓所有航空公司機票價格下降，包括宿霧太平洋航空、菲律賓航空公司、亞航飛龍航空等。

中泰鐵路達成新的共識

近日，在中泰兩國領導人的推動下，中泰“農產品換技術”計劃重新達成共識，中國與泰國簽署了“鐵路網絡項目協議”，并就進一步加強農產品貿易合作達成了一致，中國承諾從泰國進口大米以及副產品。

1 New foreign investment law on cards

Jan. 19, 2015 (China Daily) -- Foreign investors will have to gain security clearance from the government for investments that are considered harmful to national security, according to a draft law made public, which among other things seeks to provide easier access to the Chinese market. The draft foreign investment law, which was released by the Ministry of Commerce, stipulates that the State Council will set up a joint ministerial mechanism to carry out security reviews on foreign investment. Experts said the procedure is similar to the review system in foreign countries. According to the draft law, foreign investors can apply for the review proactively if they feel that their investment threatens China's national security. The draft law lists involvement in defense, energy, grain, information technology and some others as potential sectors for such reviews.

2 Visitors from overseas to get refunds

Jan. 20, 2015 (China Daily) -- China has introduced a nationwide tax refund policy for the first time to encourage spending by more overseas tourists. Overseas visitors will soon be able to claim tax refunds on purchases across China, the Ministry of Finance said. Tourists from overseas and those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who have lived on the Chinese mainland for no more than 183 days will be eligible for a rebate of 11 percent on consumer goods bought at designated department stores. The minimum purchase to qualify for a tax refund is 500 yuan (about $81) at any one store in a day. It is unclear how many cities will apply to join the plan. Southern Metropolis News reported that Hengqin, an area near Macao, will apply to join, but it is not known if Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, will do so.

3 Hong Kong halts investment program

Jan. 15, 2015 (China Daily) -- Hong Kong has called a sudden halt to its capital investment immigration program, creating shock waves on both sides of the border. In his Policy Address, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying announced the suspension of the Capital Investment Entrant program. He said Hong Kong no longer has the economic environment that it had in 2003 when the program was introduced. The city’s Immigration Department said that in 2003, when the Hong Kong economy was in recession, the plan was brought in to attract new capital to stimulate economic growth. This is no longer the government’s priority in view of the current economic situation in the city. Leung said in a question-and-answer session after the Policy Address that Hong Kong is now looking for talent, rather than money.

4 China to allow online sales of prescription drugs this month

Jan. 12, 2015 (China Daily) -- China will allow online sales of prescription drugs as early as this month, a policy that will open up an over 1 trillion yuan ($161 billion) market to online pharmacy operators like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) is finalising which prescription medicines to approve for sale, a senior healthcare policy adviser told Reuters. The policy would help reform a fragmented and opaque market controlled by State-run distributors and hospitals, brought into the spotlight last year by a bribery case which saw drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC fined nearly $500 million.

5 Shanghai FTZ pilots parallel imports of cars

Jan. 8, 2015 (Xinhua) -- China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) launched a pilot program on parallel imports of cars, which allows dealers to purchase cars directly from abroad. The program, green-lighted by a circular, will allow cars to be imported without getting authorization from carmakers and thus promise lower prices for Chinese buyers. The circular has listed requirements for companies wishing to join the program, including having engaged in car transaction for five years or more and reporting profits over the past three consecutive years. Responding to doubt over after-sale services of parallel imported vehicles, the circular required participating companies to shoulder duties of recall, after-sale service, “three guarantees“ of repair, replacement or refund of faulty products, among others. Cars imported through this channel must meet China's relevant quality and technical standards, it added.

6 China's harsher environmental protection law to take effect

Jan. 1, 2015 (Xinhua) -- China's revised Environmental Protection Law will come into effect, bringing with it heavier punishments. According to the revised law, extra fines accumulating on a daily basis will be imposed on enterprises that fail to rectify violations. Local officials may be demoted or sacked for misconduct, including the concealment of offenses, falsifying data, failing to publicize environmental data, and not giving closure orders to enterprises that illegally discharge pollutants. The new law also urges economic and social development should be coordinated with environmental protection and encourages studies on the impact environmental quality causes on public health, urging prevention and control of pollution-related diseases.

7 China further lowers threshold to attract overseas talent

Jan. 25, 2015 (Xinhua) -- China has expanded its program to attract overseas talent by adding 55 introduction plans to the latest brain gain list. Overseas personnel introduced by the plans will enjoy preferential policies in visa applications, residence permits, settling in China as well as exit/entry convenience equal with members of the influential Thousand Talent program initiated in December 2008, the People's Daily reported. The newspaper cited a circular jointly issued by the Communist Party of China Central Committee Organization Department, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. Rules on foreigners' permanent residence in China are in the pipeline and expected to take effect before the year end, which will further highlight preferential policies.

8 China's coal industry freezes over

Jan. 25, 2015 (Xinhua) -- Coal provides nearly two thirds of China's energy, but for mining companies, this winter could not be more chilly. The government has done its best to save the day, but it is not enough to force up the price of coal, even in the short term and the outlook for the coming year is no better. An already grim situation is made worse by weak demand, overcapacity and a large amount of imports, according to Jiang Zhimin, vice president of the National Coal Association (CNCA). Rating agency Fitch called 2014 a difficult year for coal miners in China, with prices sliding by about 20 percent. The government imposed import duties ranging from 3 percent to 6 percent in October and banned domestic production and imports of low quality coal.