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01 December 2011

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QE, Chinese style

The Big Call

Labour wages start to ease

Some migrant worker wages are starting to ease, raising profound implications for the economy.

Consumer China

Domestic sportswear brands stumble

Faltering demand for sportswear and intense competition both within the market and from leisure apparel is making brand development more pertinent than ever.

361 Degrees – tapping hinterland dynamism

The sportswear brand has sheltered itself from a downturn in the wider market by focusing on lesser-tapped western and northern regions.

Li Ning – flagging strategy

A change in strategy to compete with global sportswear behemoths is so far failing to improve performance.

Anta – keeping up with the pace

Anta has dodged much of the bad news that has hit the industry but the company may have to cut prices to distributors this half.

China Dongxiang – losing traction

Dongxiang has had to buy back inventory from stores and sell items off online at a steep discount, driving profits down sharply.

Financial China

Selected financial charts

A selection of key financial data.

Capital Intensive China

Discounting buoys property sales in some cities

Cash flow is king for property developers weighed down by debt.

Rural China

Rural boom moderates

Rural economic activity cooled in October led by falling pork prices and a slump in rural vehicle sales.

First Tractor – climbing the technology ladder

Growing farm sizes and a need for increased crop yields is allowing First Tractor to reap the benefits of improved technology.

The Best of Chinese Commentators

Ministry of Health under fire over food safety, again

The ministry has attracted widespread criticism for appearing too lax over food safety after frozen food was recalled for containing deadly bacteria.

Regulators toughen up on ChiNext

Alleged insider trading and speculation on junk stocks have dampened sentiment, forcing regulators to launch a delisting mechanism for the growth enterprise board.

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