China's move to hike its reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for banks by 50 basis points late Friday was its eighth since 2010. That takes the amount of money banks need to park with the central bank to 19.5 percent. But when it comes to interest rates, China has been much more cautious. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) has raised rates only three times since the current tightening cycle began in October 2010.
Greater China may represent a significant portion of sales for leading luxury brands Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Bulgari, but Aaron Fischer, regional head of consumer research at CLSA Asia Pacific Markets, believes Hong Kong-listed retailers are better positioned to capture the mainland’s demand for high-end merchandise.
China's outbound investments passed the $50 billion mark in 2010. Those figures are expected to rise further with Beijing's recent "Going Abroad" push which allows local firms to make overseas investments in yuan. But as Cheng Lei reports, Chinese firms still have a lot to learn when investing abroad.