By John Richardson THE facts on the ground in global crude markets have shifted even further in just two days. Now it seems more likely that oil prices will rise to $70 a barrel or above in Q1 of next year, possibly even earlier. What has changed are the ramifications of Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption campaign. […]
Asian Chemical Connections
How China Will Help South Asia Maximise Its Demographic Dividend….
….as the OBOR region, which includes South Asia, pushes towards complete petrochemicals self-sufficiency By John Richardson SOUTH ASIA (India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) is seeing around 1m people join its workforce every month, with this potential demographic dividend set to last for the next two decades, according to the World Bank. That is […]
China’s Courage And Vision In Ending One-Child Policy
By John Richardson CHINA’S decision to scrap its one-child policy will obviously not make any significant difference to labour shortages for at least the next 20 years or so as that is how long it will take all the new children to grow up and join the workforce. This is assuming there is a sudden […]
Demographics Threaten China Property Collapse
By John Richardson THE persistent weakness in China’s petrochemicals markets had mainly been caused by problems in the country’s property sector, according to many delegates on the sidelines of last week’s Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) in Pattaya, Thailand. Here are some worrying numbers that help to explain this view: China’s real-estate sales declined by […]