News Across Asia

China Regulatory Brief: New Rules for VAT General Taxpayers Status, Draft Amendments to Patent Law Released

In this week's China Regulatory Brief, we discuss the simplified management rules for obtaining the VAT general taxpayer status, the adjusted monthly minimum wage levels in Tianjin, and the draft amendments to the Patent Law.

China Regulatory Brief: 2015 Guidance Catalogue for Foreign Investment Industries Released

This week's China Regulatory Brief covers the first cross-border e-commerce pilot zone to be launched in Hangzhou and the new Guidance Catalogue for Foreign Investment Industries.

Wage Comparisons and Trade Flows Between China, ASEAN and India

As the cost of manufacturing in China continues to rise, the search for ever-more competitive products becomes increasingly important. While higher incomes in China have an upside, the reality is that a combination of rising wages, welfare and operational costs is encouraging the Asian supply chain to move.

ASEAN Regional Meetings 2014

There are a number of important ASEAN regional meetings taking place in November, including the Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and the 25th ASEAN summit, which will also be attended by high level representatives of China, Japan, Korea, India, the United States, and Australia.

October 2014 ASEAN Regional Meetings

There are a number of important ASEAN regional meetings taking place in October, including two events related to intellectual property rights in Manila, and committee meetings on ASEAN-Korea and ASEAN-Japan bilateral relations.

Vietnam Moves Closer to Implementing Single Visa Policy with Southeast Asian Countries

At the most recent meeting of the Ayeyawadi – Chao Phraya – Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) organization, tourism officials from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar agreed on the need to urge their respective governments to ease travel restrictions and push forward on the implementation of a single visa policy for all of the countries. The meeting was held at this year’s International Travel Expo in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).

Thailand’s Intellectual Property Regime

Recently, Thailand has taken significant steps to boost their intellectual property (IP) regime toward international standards of protection and enforcement. This article provides an outline of the main types of IP that can be registered in Thailand, with

Clean Energy Investing in China

If China is serious about improving air quality, then coal and carbon energy will need to be replaced by renewable clean energy, namely wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and other viable alternatives such as geothermal and ocean energy.

Key Aspects of India’s Corporate Social Responsibility Mandate Clarified

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs have released a new circular that clarifies certain aspects of India’s corporate social responsibility mandate, including guidelines for determining whether an event qualifies as a CSR expenditure.

Investing in China's Healthcare Industry

The Chinese government is expanding its healthcare budget and has said it welcomes foreign investment and aims to double the share of private hospital beds from 9 percent currently to 20 percent by 2015. Healthcare investment opportunity in China appears to be sizzling—but is it really?

Intellectual Property Rights Strategies in Southeast Asia: Know Before You Go

The principle issues surrounding Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) development, protection and enforcement are essential to all aspects of your ASEAN business. Your IPR strategy should be considered one of the main pillars of your business, not unlike yo

Vietnamese Visa Procedures Fall Short in ASEAN