Sep 21, 2006
Links between Pakistan and China are continuing to grow, with a visit from China Xinjiang Petroleum and Allied Services headed by General Manager Youting Kou to Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanaullah Khan Jadoon Tuesday. It is hoped that such exchanges will continue to promote the strong relationship the two countries have in the region.
From the People’s Daily Online:
Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources of Pakistan Amanaullah Khan Jadoon has said that Pakistan-China cooperation in the oil and gas sector was rapidly growing for the mutual advantage, according to a petroleum ministry statement Tuesday.
[Read more]
Sep 19, 2006
In business news today it was announced that the establishment of the China United Property Insurance Co. has been approved by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission. For someone from a country with a deregulated market economy the ownership of the company – the majority of shares held between different state organisations – makes one feel a little uncomfortable.
New insurance company receives CIRC approval
Sep. 19, 2006 (China Knowledge) – The application of China United (Holding) Corp. Ltd. to establish the China United Property Insurance Co. has been officially approved by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC), according to a press release.
The registered capital of the United Property Insurance is RMB 1.5 billion, out of which RMB 1 billion will be injected by China United.
[Read more]
Apr 4, 2006
Things really seem to be happening over the Khunjrab Pass which serves as the main transport link between China’s Xinjiang province and Pakistan. Xinjiang’s governor Ismail Tiliwaldi was quoted yesterday as saying that his government will look into a rail link between the two Central Asian regions.
Such a link would be a massive engineering undertaking. The pass between Xinjiang and Pakistan rises to some 4733 meters, meaning the line would rival the 1,956-km-long Qinghai-Tibet railway, which links Xining, Qinghai’s capital in northwest China, with Lhasa, capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Qinghai-Tibet railway records the highest elevation of any rail line in the world, reaching 5,072 meters above sea level at Tanggula Range.
This railway would be a boon for both travel and trade in the region. As regards travel, tourists would be able to stop over in Kashgar to enjoy Central Asia’s largest market and some of the sights of the silk road before heading on to Pakistan. Xinjiang’s trade would be the biggest winner as this would truly open up Pakistani ports, simplifying access to lucrative European markets.
Mar 27, 2006
There is an interesting article up on the Asia Times website at the moment detailing plans to run an oil pipeline from Russia through Xinjiang and on into China. That isn’t that much in the way of news, what is thought-provoking is the idea that they raise of extending a branch of the pipeline on into India.
This would take the idea of the Silk Road into the 21st century. The Oil Road would link Russia either from Kashgar over the Kharkoram Highway into Pakistan and on into India or from Korla and over the mountainous but closed border with India.
A lucrative idea with a great deal of wheeling and dealing left to be done.
Mar 12, 2006
China Daily is carrying a report detailing Chinese plans to connect the vast natural gas reserves in the Taklamakan Desert to energy starved Eastern China.
Environmental concerns aside, this is a massive undertaking which will cost far in excess of the US$5.7 billion price tag for the first pipeline and will serve to further deepen the importance of the Xinjiang region to Chinese development.
China plans second west-east gas pipeline
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-03-11 16:40
China is planning to build another natural gas pipeline from the energy-rich West to the energy-thirsty East in the coming five years from 2006 to 2010.
[Read more]
May 10, 2005
Every year Triumph International bring out some special underwear to celebrate something going on in Japanese society. This year it is a ‘push’ to support Prime Minister Koizumi’s push to have the Post Office privatised. Despite a lot of conservative resistance to privitisation with wear like this Koizumi can’t lose!
Japan Post (日本郵政公社, Nippon YÅ«sei KÅsha?) was a public corporation in Japan, that existed from 2003–2007, offering postal and package delivery services, banking services, and life insurance. It had over 400,000 employees and ran 24,700 post offices throughout Japan and was the nation’s largest employer. One third of all Japanese government employees worked for Japan Post. As of 2005, the president of the company was Masaharu Ikuta, formerly chairman of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd.
Japan Post ran the world’s largest postal savings system and was often said to be the largest holder of personal savings in the world: with Â¥224 trillion ($2.1 trillion) of household assets in its yÅ«-cho savings accounts and Â¥126 trillion ($1.2 trillion) of household assets in its kampo life insurance services, its holdings account for 25 percent of household assets in Japan. Japan Post also held about Â¥140 trillion (one fifth) of the Japanese national debt in the form of government bonds.
On October 1, 2007 Japan Post was privatized following fierce political debate that was settled by the 2005 general election. After the privatization, the Japan Post Group companies operate the postal business. (from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_post)
