CHINA

Gazprom is confident it will be able to supply China with large volumes of natural gas despite a recent deal between Beijing and Turkmenistan, the Russian gas export monopoly's chief spokesman said on Thursday.

Geely, China's No.1 private carmaker, said on Thursday that its parent company has strong support from the Chinese government to acquire Ford Motor's Volvo unit, and expects robust growth for China's auto industry in 2010, also with help from Beijing.

China on Thursday decried a U.S. decision to impose duties of 10 to 16 percent on Chinese-made steel pipe, the biggest U.S. trade case to date against China, and said it had been made a scapegoat of protectionist interests.

China on Thursday decried a U.S. decision to impose duties of 10 to 16 percent on Chinese-made steel pipe, the biggest U.S. trade case to date against China, and said it had been made a scapegoat of protectionist interests.

A U.S. trade panel gave final approval on Wednesday to duties ranging from about 10 to 16 percent on Chinese-made steel pipe in the biggest U.S. trade case to date against China.

A U.S. trade panel gave final approval on Wednesday to duties ranging from about 10 to 16 percent on Chinese-made steel pipe in the biggest U.S. trade case to date against China.

Saudi Arabia has quit a long-held lease for 5 million barrels of Caribbean oil storage near the key U.S. market and state giant PetroChina is poised to move in, industry sources say, a potentially major shift in global oil trade dynamics.

China's steel industry association expects foreign miners to call for a 20-30 percent increase in benchmark iron ore prices in 2010, the official China Securities Journal reported on Wednesday.

China Mobile (0941.HK) said on Wednesday that it is moving ahead on schedule with a plan to list in China, after media reported that an investigation into one of its top executives could lead to a delay.

China will make it easier for foreign investors to start businesses in the country, especially in its western provinces, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

Aluminium demand in China is expected to grow by 15% in 2010 on the back of revival in construction and auto segments. According to reports, long term prospect of aluminium is bright as China is still in the middle of completing urbanization and its metal intensive growth is likely to continue for many years to come. It added that about 65% of aluminium consumption is in the east and middle south China. The urbanization of North West and south west has great potential for aluminium demand.

In China's latest bid to acquire resource assets abroad, two Chinese firms have offered $650 million for Canadian miner Corriente Resources Ltd. China Railway Construction Corp and Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group Holdings Co announced the all-cash $650 million offer this week.

The Australian Dollar held above the 88 cents mark yesterday as news out of China indicated that economic forecasts would keep pace with expectations in 2010 and that it would maintain stimulus polices currently in place.

Canadian mining stocks jumped on Tuesday after Corriente Resources Inc (CTQ.TO), which has a copper-gold project in Ecuador, agreed to be taken over by Chinese suitors in their country's latest bid for an international resource developer.

Most of the time, when travelers are thinking about going to a foreign country in order to witness a particular festival celebration first-hand, they're thinking in terms of what festival will help them understand the culture better, or which ones have the most free-flowing alcohol. But if you're one of

Auto sales will gain momentum worldwide in 2010 on the back of better access to credit and a return to 3 percent growth in the global economy, setting the stage for record volumes in 2011, according the latest industry forecast from Scotia Economics.

China's Geely would barely lay a finger on Ford Motor Co's Volvo if it succeeds in acquiring the Swedish luxury car brand, the firm's top executive was quoted by state media as saying on Friday.

China's Big Four banks led by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (601398.SS)(1398.HK), now the world's largest bank by market value, hold a combined 50 percent share of the domestic lending market, mostly for big state-owned enterprises.

Sumitomo Chemical Corp agreed to buy a $590 million stake in Australian farm chemicals maker Nufarm Ltd on Tuesday, in a surprise deal that knocked out a rival bid from China's Sinochem.

CNR Corp, one of China's top two train makers, limped in with a lukewarm market debut after its $2 billion IPO in Shanghai, signaling investors' intolerance for high valuations as a flood of new equity awaits next year.

Strength in mining stocks helped Britain's top share index recover on Tuesday to levels not seen since before the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, though banks were weak.