Dear ST reader,
Traders at the ongoing Canton Fair – China’s biggest trade fair – say the world still needs Chinese goods, despite US allegations that the world’s top manufacturer is dumping products. And the traders are certainly not complaining about a proliferation of affordable Chinese green technology.
Australian importer John Walco had already purchased three containers of items such as solar and battery products after one morning at the fair - which runs from April 15 to May 5. “We like the overcapacity problem because it brings the price down,” he quipped.
Nearer home, Malaysia is believed to be looking at allowing a casino to operate in the Forest City project in Johor. Forest City is being built by a joint-venture company led by Chinese developer Country Garden Holdings. Malaysia's current King, Johor Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, controls about a fifth of the joint-venture firm.
Sources told The Straits Times that such a development is among the proposals for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, an integrated commercial and investment hub to boost the movement of goods and people between Malaysia and Singapore.
In Singapore, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong prepares to step down on May 15, ST looks back at his 20 years in office and how he keeps Singapore special.
On April 24, ST won four golds and one silver at the Digital Media Awards Asia, organised by the World Association of News Publishers to recognise publishers that have adopted digital media and mobile strategies in response to how people consume news and information. SPH Media, which publishes ST, was the top winner with eight awards.