As the United States and China threaten each other with tit-for-tat tariffs, some say Beijing could use other weapons such as devaluing the yuan. (Photo: AFP/Fred Dufour) Donald Trump last month sparked fears of a potentially destabilising stand-off between the world's top two economies after threatening tariffs on Chinese imports, leading to warnings of tit-for-tat measures against hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods. But while the talk focuses on the levies, there are mutterings within Beijing that President Xi Jinping should turn his attention to other weapons at his disposal. Fan Gang, a member of the Chinese central bank's monetary policy committee, hinted Sunday Beijing could stop buying US Treasuries. "These assets need to be properly used, investing in US government bonds is not as good as investing in some real assets," he told an economic forum, according to the Caixin financial magazine. Those comments followed a report in the nationalist Global Times tabloid … [Read more...] about China’s US debt holdings: Double edged sword in trade war
Traded value definition
Liberalisation of trade necessary
HA NOI (VNS) — Trade liberalisation for environ-mental goods and services has become key to Viet Nam's bilateral and multi-lateral negotiations, and international co-operation. Pham Minh Nguyen, director of the Institute of Trade Research, said the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have been the leading international organisations to promote trade liberalisation of goods and services. Last year, the world trade value for environmental goods and services reached US$4 trillion, demonstrating a high growth rate. The value is expected to reach $10 trillion by 2020. The United States took the lead in investment in goods and services, reporting an export turnover of $106 billion in 2013 and an annual growth rate of more than eight per cent. The European Union, China, and India followed. Nguyen told the Trade Liberalisation for Environment Goods and Services workshop, … [Read more...] about Liberalisation of trade necessary
Analyst sees value in Viet Nam stocks
HA NOI — Foreigners have begun taking notice of Viet Nam's stock market again, says Tony D'Altorio, a research analyst with Investment U, a US online financial publication. Overseas investors' share of daily trading volume on the nation's stock exchanges had jumped to 15-20 per cent over the past couple months, D'Altorio noted in his article entitled "Viet Nam's emerging market: an Asian value play". Foreign investors might believe that Vietnamese stocks were cheap currently in comparison to the rest of Southeast Asia, D'Altorio said, acknowledging that Viet Nam remained at bargain basement prices among Asian countries. Citing PXP Asset Management research, he said that Viet Nam's market was trading on a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.6, compared to Thailand's 14.4, Indonesia's 17.4 and the Philippines' 18.6. "Since Viet Nam's market first hit global investors' radar screens in 2006, it has traded between 8 and 35 times earnings. So it's definitely trading near the low end right … [Read more...] about Analyst sees value in Viet Nam stocks
China Trade Surplus Hits Record
China said on Monday its politically sensitive trade surplus in October topped 27 billion dollars for the first time, data sure to add to mounting pressure by the US and EU over Chinese trade policies. Sizzling exports pushed the surplus to 27.1 billion dollars in October, the customs bureau said, just weeks before high-level US and EU delegations, plus French President Nicolas Sarkozy, are due in China to press Beijing to let its yuan currency strengthen. "The record high trade surplus will definitely increase US pressure to raise the yuan's value," said Shi Lei, an analyst with Beijing-based TX Consulting. Chinese exports in October jumped 22.3 percent to 107.7 billion dollars over the same month last year, pushing the monthly surplus figure just beyond the previous record set in June of 26.9 billion dollars. It also lifted the accumulated surplus for the first 10 months to 212.4 billion dollars, a leap of 59 percent over the same period in 2006, already shattering last … [Read more...] about China Trade Surplus Hits Record
Market “now definitely cheap,” investment fund says
Last week's slide by the stock market has made shares on the exchange inexpensive, a fund manager told clients in a monthly note. The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange's VN-Index lost 15.8 percent last week, including a 4.6 percent tumble on February 21, the biggest one-day decline since 2006. Monday the measure gained 4.1 percent to 715.04, its largest one-day advance in more than a month. … [Read more...] about Market “now definitely cheap,” investment fund says