Ningbo, China — On Jan. 1, an agreement between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will go into effect, establishing a free trade area that will liberalize trade and investments between China and the 10 ASEAN countries. This is a positive step that promises many advantages to all countries involved.

Kolkata, India — The United Arab Emirates’ US$40 billion deal with South Korea to build and operate four nuclear power plants in the UAE serves to underline how even hydrocarbon rich states are embracing nuclear power in a big way. The Korean victory surprised many, beating French and U.S.-Japanese competitors.

Seoul, South Korea — South Korea has won a landmark deal to build nuclear reactors for the United Arab Emirates, boosting calls for the lifting of Seoul's self-imposed ban on nuclear activities to tap bigger atomic reactor markets. The US$40 billion deal involves four nuclear power plants to be built in Sila, west of Abu Dhabi.

Seoul, South Korea — North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong Il has made a visit to the country's sputtering free trade zone for the first time in two decades ago in an apparent bid to woo much-needed foreign capital. Kim described the Rason zone bordering China and Russia as an "important post for external trade."

Kolkata, India — As India and other developing countries race against time to hammer out a deal on climate change in Copenhagen, millions of rural and poor Indians believe that the responsibility for solving climate change lies with the government. There is surely much the country can do on its own.

Seoul, South Korea — South Korea's central bank said on Friday that the economy is forecast to grow 4.6 percent next year reflecting a quick "V-shaped" recovery path. But some economists warn the country's export-dependent economy could sink into a "W-shaped" double-dip recession if there is no massive corporate investment and private consumption.

Toronto, ON, Canada — India's sugar shortfall, with demand outstripping supply for the season ending in March 2010, is expected to be around 6 to 8 million tons, which will force the country to import sugar. The blame falls squarely on India’s lack of rain, which thwarted an increase in farm acreage for sugarcane cultivation.

Kolkata, India — While everyone is focused on solving Pakistan’s political problems and insurgency issues, few are paying attention to the country’s economy, which is tanking under decades of neglect and internal problems. As its political system deteriorates, Pakistan’s economy is heading for a catastrophic collapse.

New York, NY, United States — As world leaders gather in Copenhagen to battle climate change the focus will be on China and the United States, the two largest polluters in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. China has an urgent need for critical technology; if the United States provides it both sides will benefit.

Manipal, India — Given current hype, one may well think that carbon generated by manufacturing and transport is causing global warming. Actually it is the so-called "carbon equivalents," primarily methane, that are responsible for much of the diminishing ozone layer. But this will not be discussed at Copenhagen.

Toronto, ON, Canada — The mini-depression of 2008-2009 will be remembered as the one that felled the mighty West but let China and India prosper. China grew at 9 percent and India at 7 percent this year, while the United States and Europe suffered a crippling 3.5 percent drop in their growth rates.

Ningbo, China — Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrived in China Wednesday on a four-day visit, his first visit since his inauguration in 2006. Both sides hope that the visit will warm up ties that have grown chilly due to a number of disagreements in recent years.

Manila, Philippines — Singapore sources about half its water supply from its neighbor Malaysia, with whom it has two major water agreements. As the first ends in 2011, will Malaysia renegotiate for a better deal, or decide not to extend the agreement? Will this issue drive a wedge between the two neighbors?

Seoul, South Korea — North Korea sharply raised the value of its currency on Tuesday – the country’s first monetary reform in 17 years. The move is aimed at curbing inflation and black-market trading in an effort to tighten state control as the country prepares for another dynastic power transfer, analysts in South Korea say.

Toronto, ON, Canada — With the visit to India last week of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada-India relations have been given an important boost. In the past, thanks to political obstructions, Canada failed to realize India’s importance. Now the two countries have many reasons to draw closer together.

Tokyo, Japan — Japan, as a country with few natural energy resources, is eager to come up with alternative energy and has been taking the lead in developing this field. This year the world's first household hydrogen fuel cell was made available here. It can provide for a family’s energy needs, but there are some problems.

Tokyo, Japan — After growing in the second quarter of 2009 for the first time in five quarters, Japan’s economy continued to expand in the third quarter by 1.2 percent – or 4.8 percent on an annualized basis. Signs of economic recovery can be observed in increases in public investment, exports and industrial production.

Jeju, South Korea — Doosan Heavy Industries, South Korea's top power plant builder and the world's biggest seawater desalination plant provider, is expanding its business portfolio to include renewable energy – from wind turbines to carbon capture – for future growth.

Tokyo, Japan — Last year's soaring crude oil prices and growing environmental awareness are pushing the development of alternative energy sources. Japan’s three major auto manufacturers have made great progress in developing hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles, which are expected to be commercially available in 2015.

Kolkata, India — India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a surprise announcement last week, said the government will go forward with a plethora of reforms, which has not only pleased the country’s stock markets and economists but foreign investors as well. Singh promised "gradual but steady progress in financial sector reforms.”

Washington, DC, United States — For nearly two decades China has maintained an undervalued currency and tightly regulated private trading in the yuan by purchasing more than US$400 billion each year with newly printed currency. This keeps the yuan artificially cheap against the dollar and make Chinese goods artificially inexpensive.

Nakhonratchasima, Thailand — Thailand is currently doing battle with one of the world’s most dangerous killers – the tobacco industry. While Asia’s industry players gather in Bangkok for the region’s biggest tobacco exhibition, networking and strategy sessions, anti-smoking advocates are protesting outside.

Washington, DC, United States — Stocks are soaring, yet unemployment surges and the dollar slumps – a contradiction made possible by Washington’s neglect of international challenges to U.S. growth. China will grow 10 percent next year and Asia will boom. Blind to Chinese mercantilism, Obama has no credible plan to boost exports or reduce imports.

Toronto, ON, Canada — U.S. leaders are more concerned about their prestige, which has nose-dived due to the decline of the U.S. dollar, than the currency decline itself. Although the decline may be a boon for importers of U.S. goods, because they become cheaper, it is a concern for nations who park their earnings in U.S. dollars.

Seoul, South Korea — South Korea's Parliament has ratified a free trade accord with India, backing President Lee Myung-bak's "New Asia Initiative" aimed at making Seoul "a leader of all Asian nations." The pact could nearly double the volume of bilateral trade, which reached US$15.6 billion last year.

Hong Kong, China — China’s attitude toward North Korea has been ambivalent for some time. An anti-North Korea faction believes Pyongyang has undermined China’s interests. But the pro-North faction still dominates, as economic and security factors bind these two communist neighbours together.

Tokyo, Japan — The second decade of the millennium may well be the decade of large Asian developing countries, for their increasing role as both producers and market creators. These include China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and, to a lesser extent, the Philippines, with the total population of around 2.7 billion people.

Seoul, South Korea — South Korea's economy grew at its fastest pace for more than seven years in the third quarter on the back of robust exports and government-led stimulus packages, the central bank said Monday. But the economy could lose steam again as growth was largely driven by aggressive fiscal spending and tax benefits.

Kolkata, India — Years after India thought that bitter squabbles between labor and management were a thing of the past, strikes and demonstrations are returning to the streets, with the country experiencing over a dozen incidents of industrial unrest in the past few months.

Toronto, ON, Canada — The U.S. public debt stands at US$11.9 trillion and rising. If the United States is not able to get its financial house in order, its future role as leader of the free world is in jeopardy. No other nation has the muscle to step in except China – which holds US$900 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds.

Tokyo, Japan — Japan's major auto manufacturers have put their latest eco-car technologies on show at the Tokyo Motor Show that opened Friday. The highlights of the event include electric and hybrid vehicles, competing with one another to be eco-friendly and economical.

New Delhi, India — The ASEAN region is rich in oil and natural gas. A growing demand for energy, imports and exports has led to the growth of shipping companies to corner business opportunities. But wealth has also brought conflict to the region where maritime boundaries remain vague and unresolved.

Vancouver, BC, Canada — The imposition of antidumping tariffs on Chinese products has ceased to be surprising news as trade protectionism spreads. A Global Trade Alert report in September stated that G20 nations had implemented trade barriers on 121 items since their Washington summit, despite their anti-protectionism promises.

Kolkata, India — For India’s petroleum ministry, scant bidding by foreign bidders for the latest round of oil blocks may be a spillover of the murky spat between the owners of India's largest energy companies. But according to analysts, unfavorable global and domestic conditions have kept new investors out of the bidding process.

Tokyo, Japan — The “2010 problem” in Japan’s commercial mortgage-backed securities market refers to the upcoming wave of CMBS underlying loan maturities where 2010 is the year with the highest concentration of those loan maturities. If the current financial and real estate market conditions persist, a substantial percentage of these loans will become delinquent.

Toronto, ON, Canada — Uranium, the key to nuclear power generation, is in short supply in India. The country’s reserves stand at 75,000 tons of low-grade ore, which requires processing before it becomes fuel for nuclear reactors. Therefore the country must import uranium until it can switch to technologies that use alternate fuel.

Washington, DC, United States — As the dollar falls against the euro, yen and other major currencies, China and other emerging economic powers holding lots of dollars and U.S. securities are crying foul, and for an end to the dollar’s central status in global commerce. If they are truly disgusted, they should look to themselves for answers.

Seoul, South Korea — North Korea has won some US$2.29 billion worth of aid from South Korea and other negotiating partners in return for false promises to give up its nuclear weapons drive, the South Korean government said in a report to Parliament Monday. That is why it’s ready to sign another deal to win more aid.

Kolkata, India — The Indian government has decided to stop issuing visas to semi-skilled Chinese workers and has requested local as well as Chinese companies to employ local workers instead. Reportedly, the move is aimed at opening more job opportunities for the local labor force hard hit by the economic downturn.

Kolkata, India — Food prices in India have risen by 20 to 40 percent, yet newspapers are reporting that the economy is witnessing negative to low inflation. “Headline inflation” does not measure the impact of prices on consumers, and will do so even less after forthcoming changes in the way the indicator is determined.

Shanghai, China — When U.S. President Barack Obama meets his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao this week ahead of the Pittsburgh G20 summit, it will look like the inaugural session of the new world order, the Chinese-American duopoly that looks likely to dominate the 21st century.

Zhengzhou, China — Chinese stock markets slumped in August, sending investor confidence sliding and causing panic selling. But then market managers introduced speedy measures, described as a “frontline first-aid policy,” to ensure a rising market for National Day. China will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Oct. 1.

Seoul, South Korea — South Korea's economic policymakers are under pressure to exit stimulus policies, with warnings that excessive liquidity could cause inflation and bubbles in the asset markets. Emergency policy measures may remain, but the government is expected to begin withdrawing expansionary steps within this year.

Ningbo, China — Chinese President Hu Jintao will be in the United States next week for the U.N. General Assembly and the G20 meeting, where he is expected to meet U.S. President Barack Obama. But the U.S. imposition of special duties on Chinese tires has threatened to spoil the spirit of cooperation between these two powers.

Kolkata, India — A massive initiative to generate solar energy is heating up in the Indian state of Gujarat, which could make it the country’s hub for solar power. The Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation has signed a 3,000 MW solar power project with an estimated investment outlay of US$10 billion with the Clinton Foundation.

Philadelphia, PA, United States — Since the 1990s China has increased its expenditure on research and development at a rate nearly twice that of overall economic growth. Statistics show that enterprises account for close to three-quarters of China’s R&D expenditures; but in reality they have allocated few financial resources to innovative R&D.

Toronto, ON, Canada — In the last five years there has been a paradigm shift in the global investor’s perception of India. Foreign institutional investors are pouring money into India at the rate of roughly US$1 billion a week, while annual foreign direct investment has reached US$47 billion.

Manila, Philippines — The next Philippine president, to be elected in May next year, will be tasked with addressing the worsening problem of joblessness throughout the country. A recent survey showed at least 10 million adult Filipinos unemployed, representing a serious social crisis that could explode into a volcano.

Kolkata, India — India has finally entered the 3G era after a decision last month to auction 3G bandwidth that allows high-end mobile data services. But the country’s telecom operators are unsure whether the move will lead to next-generation telephony, or stumble in the process.

Dangjin, South Korea — Hyundai Steel could provide a solution to steelmakers across the globe facing rising energy costs and toughening environmental regulations. The second-largest steelmaker in South Korea is building a closed raw material processing system that performs all operations under airtight conditions.