CHINA

Former US trade representatives have urged the Department of Transportation to accept United Airlines' proposal to connect Washington D.C. and Beijing through direct commercial flights for the first time.

World economic growth may be cresting after the strongest showing in three decades, making it imperative that countries revive global, market-opening talks to tap the benefit of expanded trade, the head of the IMF said on Tuesday.

Increased Chinese involvement in Africa should be welcomed, former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano said on Monday, dismissing accusations that Chinese policies can encourage human rights abuses.

U.S. and Chinese standards groups are collaborating to launch a standards Web site designed to boost trade between the two countries.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Monday a strong U.S. dollar was in the interest of the United States and he was not seeking any quick fixes on China's currency situation.

The World Bank's private sector arm said on Monday it hiked investments in the Middle East and Africa by 80 percent in the year that ended in June due to higher demand in those regions and it aims to do more in 2007. We are refocusing on these countries, International Finance

Investors who have seen energy prices rocket due to scarce supplies are starting to wager that forecasted shortages will cause the value of water to skyrocket

The world's leading industrial countries are enjoying strong growth but face the risk of rising inflationary expectations, tight energy markets and spreading protectionism

Taiwan online music file-sharing network Kuro has agreed to shut down its file swapping service and pay undisclosed damages to settle a recording industry lawsuit, the industry group behind the row said.

China and its official Xinhua news agency defended new rules controlling foreign news organisations on Thursday, saying they are not aimed at commercial gain and will not give the agency unfair dominance.

BT Group announced growth targets on Thursday for its Global Services business, which provides IT network services and is the former state monopoly's fastest growing division.

Today Rolls Royce Plc announced that it had struck a deal worth US$800 million with Air China. Air China has chosen to use the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engine for use on its new fleet of 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

A court in China has used a software program to help decide prison sentences in more than 1,500 criminal cases, a Hong Kong newspaper said on Wednesday.

Nokia, the world largest cell-phone manufacturer, has teamed up with China Mobile in efforts to expand the cellular networking infrastructure across mainland China, the companies said on Tuesday.

Oil rebounded above $66 a barrel on Tuesday, with bargain hunting traders ending a six day retreat after Iran sounded a softer note on its atomic programme

High-level talks to jump start negotiations on a global trade agreement won't be possible until the end of the year or early next year, European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said Monday.

China's mainland manufacturers plan to raise their export prices by 70 percent within the next year, according to China supplier survey.

Nasdaq International said on Sunday it was focusing on the China market as strong economic growth creates a broad range of companies that are seeking overseas listings.

The grass is always greener on the other side in China: foreign companies want to tap the country's 1.3 billion consumers while some Chinese firms are desperate to escape the cut-throat competition at home.

As China evolves from a nation of savers to one of borrowers and investors, banks are salivating over the prospects, but risks loom in a market where consumer credit is a novelty and competition is intensifying.

Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said on Friday that G7 financial heads would discuss exchange rates when they meet in Singapore on September 16, but he declined to say if the yen would be at the center of those talks.