The non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a key gauge of activity in the world's second-biggest economy, defied expectations and surged to 54.7 points in June after three months of sluggish performance. It was the first time since February that the reading was above the 50-point mark separating growth from contraction. It sat at 47.8 in May. "As the situation of domestic epidemic prevention and control continued to improve and a package of policies... to stabilise the economy was implemented at a quicker pace, the overall recovery of our country's economy has accelerated," National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said in a statement. In particular, business activity in industries severely hit by the pandemic such as rail and air transport picked up in June, the statement said. Construction activity also helped fuel the PMI boost. But the "surprisingly rapid recovery in services" likely reflects a one-off boost from reopening, said … [Read more...] about Services, manufacturing rebound in China after Covid curbs eased
Aviation industry corp of china
Conference reviews Vietnam-Guangdong cooperation
Vietnamese and Chinese officials take part in the teleconference on June 29. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A conference reviewing cooperation between Vietnamese ministries, localities and Guangdong province of China was held in virtual form on June 29 under the chair of Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu and Guangdong’s Vice Governor Wang Xi. Opening the conference, the eighth of its kind, Deputy FM Hieu expressed joy at the positive developments in the Vietnam-China relationship in general and between Vietnamese ministries, localities and Guangdong in particular. Guangdong has the biggest trade revenue with Vietnam among Chinese localities , with bilateral trade up 16.2 percent in 2021 to 47.42 billion USD, accounting for more than one quarter of Vietnam-China trade value. Guangdong companies invested nearly 2 billion USD in Vietnam in 2019-2020. Deputy minister Hieu said amidst fast developments in global and regional economic situation, the two … [Read more...] about Conference reviews Vietnam-Guangdong cooperation
Reopening increases foreign interest in transport upgrade
Roads, airports, and seaports are being looked at by overseas companies in terms of investment feasibility, Photo: Shutterstock On June 16, Hoang Gia Khanh, deputy general director of state-owned railway giant Vietnam Railways (VNR), received a delegation of Austrian businesses at its headquarters who introduced new products and technology solutions aiming to seek opportunities in the local industry. The commercial counsellor of the Austrian Embassy in Hanoi said that businesses expect to intensify cooperation with VNR, specifically those in funding and upgrading projects, as well as machinery upgrading and maintenance. He added that besides official development assistance, the Austrian government also has other financial tools that can help VNR access financial resources and technologies. According to Khanh, investment demand for the industry’s infrastructure development is huge and he highly appreciates the products and technology of groups like Plasser & Theurer and … [Read more...] about Reopening increases foreign interest in transport upgrade
Luggage piles join long airport lines in fresh woes for summer travel
Once a cost-cutting and outsourcing target for aviation, ground handlers are now being offered raises, as frazzled passengers take to social media to complain about missing baggage. The hiring can't come fast enough as a rebound in travel and badly-needed airline revenue this summer is being weighed by congestion, rising costs and labor strife, after a two-year pandemic vacuum. Air Canada said late on Wednesday it would cut flights in July and August to reduce passenger flows to a level that the air transport system can accommodate. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), which represents ground handlers, including baggage and cargo handlers, for Air Canada among other carriers, said some Canadian workers are being offered raises and double pay to work beyond eight-hour shifts, a union official said. "It's created a bit of a bidding war," said Dave Flowers, an IAMAW national president in Canada specializing in air transportation. Flowers … [Read more...] about Luggage piles join long airport lines in fresh woes for summer travel
Japan power plant shutdown raises fear of shortage in sweltering heat
TOKYO -- Japan's electricity grid creaked on Thursday under the strain of Tokyo's hottest June since records began, with the unexpected shutdown of a power plant raising fears that tens of millions of people could be deprived of power on another scorching day. Temperatures of around 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) were expected in some parts of greater Tokyo, home to 37 million people, on the sixth day of a heatwave that began after the earliest end to the capital's rainy season in decades. Maximum highs are not forecast to drop to 30C (86F) before Tuesday. With power producers scrambling to bring nearly 50-year-old turbines out of mothballs, the closure of a 600-megawatt (MW) plant in northern Japan that sends supplies to Tokyo came with reserve power capacity hovering around 3% - the level below which blackouts can occur. Operator Joban Kyodo Thermal Power Company cited unexplained technical issues for the closure but said that parts of the plant had been restarted as of 1 p.m., … [Read more...] about Japan power plant shutdown raises fear of shortage in sweltering heat
Vietnam enjoys trade surplus of 710 million USD in six months
Illustration. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam enjoyed a trade surplus of 710 million USD in the first six months of 2022, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported on June 29. According to the office, in the first half of this year, total import-export revenue is estimated to reach 371.17 billion USD, up 16.4% year on year, with imports of 185.94 billion USD, a rise of 17.3% over the same period last year. In the period, the domestic economic sector suffered trade deficit of 15.97 billion USD, while the foreign-invested sector saw trade surplus of 16.68 billion USD. In June, import-export turnover is estimated at 32.65 billion USD, up 5.6% over the previous month. In the second quarter of 2022, export revenue reached 96.8 billion USD, a rise of 21% year on year and 8.7% over the previous quarter. In the January-June period, 28 products recorded export revenue of over 1 billion USD, and five earning revenue exceeding 10 billion USD. The GSO reported that the … [Read more...] about Vietnam enjoys trade surplus of 710 million USD in six months
Inflation not a domestic problem in Vietnam
Inflation in Vietnam currently does not warranty an increase in interest rates or tightening of currency. At present, Vietnam is in a more favorable position than many other countries in the world. No undue pressure In a conversation with Saigon Investment, Dr. Ho Quoc Tuan from the University of Bristol, commented that when talking about global inflation, the first factor that comes up is the increase in the price of energy and raw materials across the world which have been greatly affected by the Russia-Ukraine war. Among the factors that are affecting the most are energy prices of crude oil and gas. Analysts in this field have said that even with the US President visiting Saudi Arabia, the ability to deal with energy supply is still very difficult. Currently, the US Congress is trying to come up with policies to encourage domestic production of shale oil, but they are also not too optimistic. Dr. Ho Quoc Tuan said that this means that the supply cannot be resolved this year … [Read more...] about Inflation not a domestic problem in Vietnam