By John Richardson CHINA has to improve innovation if it is to avoid the middle-income trap. Some people assume that success is a given because of China’s great achievement of lifting hundreds of millions of people out of absolute poverty over the last two decades. But rapid industrialisation and infrastructure spending, which were the methods of […]
Asian Chemical Connections
China Labour Supply Threatens Productivity Growth
Chart compiled by the China Real Time Report blog. By John Richardson NOBODY should be surprised about what is happening in China’s petrochemicals markets, as the signs have been there for many months that economic rebalancing would have to accelerate. This could be marvellous news in the long term for domestic consumption growth, but […]
Xi Jingping’s Challenges
By John Richardson XI Jinping, who formally became China’s president last week during the National People’s Congress meeting, faces enormous challenges. Life is, for example, pretty grim for hundreds of millions of people in China. Many have lost out on the country’s “economic miracle” because a hugely disproportionate share of the country’s wealth has ended […]
Innovation: No More Time Left To Lose
Source of picture: http://whyfiles.org/ By John Richardson MY colleague Nigel Davis has written an excellent Insight article which highlights how some chemicals companies are seeking to respond to changing patterns. As we have discussed before, Bayer Material Science is adapting its portfolio of products in response to the megatrends – demographics, energy conservation, […]
China Govt Confirms Post-CNY Labour Shortages
The great news behind rising labour costs: Shan Dalin, pictured with his family, is a crane operator from Southwest China’s Guizhou province who has worked in eastern Zhejiang province for 10 years. In 2012, Shan’s monthly income rose to 2,800 yuan ($449) from lower than 2,000 yuan in 2008. [Photo/Xinhua] By John Richardson The […]
South Korea’s Demographic Challenges
By John Richardson SOUTH Korea serves as another example of how demographics are reshaping Asian economic prospects. “By 2018, 14% of its population will be over 65, making it officially an ‘aged society.’ That is six years sooner than Japan and more than a century before France, according to the Samsung Economic Research Institute,” writes […]
Saudi Arabia’s New Export Challenge
Source of picture: Indiaagrifarms By John Richardson Saudi Arabia continues to pursue its vision of adding social value to its hydrocarbon reserves by creating jobs. This involves going further downstream from basic petrochemicals. “The Ministry of Petroleum has said, ‘we want an end to polymer tourism’ – i.e. plastic pellets leaving the Kingdom and […]
What an excellent boss
By John Richardson VERY occasionally the blog deviates from its close coverage of petrochemical markets to focus on broader business issues. Today is one such occasion after a discussion with a manager of a major Asian chemicals trading operation. The manager is convinced that the good times are behind us, to refer back to the […]
Being Miserable As A Profession
Never look on the bright side of life… Source of picture: thescratchingshed.com By John Richardson – fresh back from a long break in Europe (more on this later). “If you keep predicting a catastrophe, John, you will eventually be proved right,” a senior executive from a major Asian petrochemicals producer told me in mid-2007. At […]
Building A Society With A Soul
What would would the great man have thought? Source of picture: Newham Council, the UK Four of the things my dear late father taught me were: *Never vote for the British Conservative Party *Never cross a picket line *Always pursue your dreams *Keep believing in the common good of humanity in the face of all […]
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