China’s ‘two sessions’ 2024: did Premier Li Qiang’s speech move the needle for foreign, private business?

Beijing is angling to revive confidence in private entrepreneurs and foreign investors via a renewed campaign for a unified national market and better business environment – an essential task to fulfil its ambitious expansion target of around 5 per cent and ensure economic stability in 2024. In his maiden government work report on Tuesday, Premier … Read more

China’s ‘two sessions’ 2024: legislature hammers home pro-business stance, says nation’s door is ‘always open to world’

A new law promoting the private sector is being crafted to tailor legislation to the most pressing needs of the key sector. China’s door is always open to the world, and we will never slam it shutLou Qinjian, NPC spokesman The top legislature is also set to review the first amendment to the Organic Law … Read more

China pledges further measures to make payment apps easier for foreigners to use as it looks to boost economy

China has pledged to make it easier for foreigners to use payment apps and to reduce barriers for the private sector as part of its latest efforts to restore investor confidence. On Friday state news agency Xinhua reported that the State Council, China’s cabinet, had approved unspecified measures to make it easier for foreigners and … Read more

The Russians are spending big on infrastructure to absorb occupied Ukraine

Armies rarely measure their success by the roads they’ve paved or the rail lines they’ve laid down — but that may be the metric Russia is using in occupied portions of Ukraine, where major infrastructure projects are underway or are being planned. Over the last few months, Moscow-based media have reported on the construction of a new railway line between Rostov-on-Don … Read more