China's commercial banks posted a record high net profit of 2.65 trillion yuan (US$420.6 billion) in 2011, according to official data.  read more

CHINESE companies will be put off investing in New Zealand if a Shanghai-based investment group is not allowed to buy farms there after a court ordered that official approval of the sale should be reconsidered, the bidder said yesterday.  read more

THIRTEEN people have been killed and 43 injured in an explosion which ripped through a chemical factory in north China's Hebei Province yesterday morning. The accident happened at around 9:30am at the Hebei Keeperchemical Industries Co Ltd in Zhaoxian County, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Cheng Weiqing, deputy chief of Public Security Department of the provincial capital of Shjiajiazhuang.  read more

Tight monetary policy in China has limited private enterprises' access to loans, forcing many listed firms into a high-interest lending market. Some Hong Kong lenders have joined the fray, offering loans at annual interest rates of 30%-40%.  read more

Internet giant Alibaba's bid to privatize its Hong Kong-listed business-to-business arm, Alibaba.com, could help the company retune its operating strategy and add flexibility to ongoing negotiations with Yahoo, analysts said Feb. 22.  read more

Chinese people were shocked when 29 workers were kidnapped in Sudan on Jan. 28 and 25 workers were held hostage in Egypt three days later. These incidents are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the risks Chinese firms face in their overseas ventures, reports the Economic Information Daily.  read more

The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, said Wednesday that the government is aiming to achieve a 14% growth in its outstanding broad money supply (M2) this year.  read more

China's commercial banks posted a record high net profit of 2.65 trillion yuan (US$420.6 billion) in 2011, according to official data. Net profit in the fourth quarter of 2011 exceeded 1 trillion yuan (US$158.8 billion) for the first time, reaching 1.04 trillion yuan (US$165 billion), the China Banking Regulatory Commission said in a statement .  read more

Chinese consumer electronics and home appliances company Haier launched its new brand — Aqua — in Tokyo on Feb. 15 and announced that its headquarters built in Osaka last month will become its Asian headquarters and R&D center.  read more

Export tax rebates will be increased this year in response to an export decline triggered by the European debt crisis, the Asiaone Business reported on Feb. 22.  read more