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Byline: RICK CAREW AND SKY CANAVES; Sue Feng in Beijing and Betsy McKay in Atlanta contributed to this article HONG KONG -- Coca-Cola Co.'s $2.4-billion (U.S.) deal to acquire China [...]

Shares for China Oilfield Services Ltd., also known as COSL, closed at nearly four times their price from one year ago, at $2.07, due to increasing energy prices and rapid economic development that are boosting demand. COSL is planning to debut 500 mil Class A shares in Shanghai at $1.80, representing a 16% discount.

The article focuses on how Chinese consumers celebrate Christmas, which for most Asians is a somewhat new, and secular, event. The author details how Western companies operating in Asia have increased Asian exposure to the holiday. The article discusses how Starbucks, Wal-Mart Stores and McDonald's customize their Christmas marketing for local markets.

The article discusses the economic impact of highway development in China. Fast-food chain McDonald's Corp. is planning to build several hundred restaurants with drive-through windows. Car makers including Ford Motor Co. and General Motors have benefited from increased sales. Retailers Home Depot Inc. and Carrefour SA are comfortable building on locations distant from city centers but accessible by highways.

The article reports that a multi-year plan from China's Ministry of Information Technology aimed at transforming China into a world leader in designing and producing electric and hybrid automobiles indicates China may require foreign car makers to share related technologies in order to gain access to the Chinese market.

The article discusses efforts by China to restrain its fast-rising housing market. The government has increased the level of reserves certain banks must hold. In addition, Bank of China Ltd. will temporarily cease making loans. China's economic growth exceeded targets in 2009, and some fear the nation is in danger of experiencing conditions similar to those that preceded a sharp recession in Japan in the 1990s.

The article discusses problems that attend the increased use of electric bicycles in China. Between 2001 and 2007 the number of fatalities involving electric bicycles jumped from 34 to 2,469. Some pedestrians say the bikes have become a menace. Licensing requirements for them are not as stringent as those for automobiles.

The article examines efforts by China's government to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic on October 1, 2009. Administrative agencies are being urged to create programs to mark the anniversary celebration. A poetry competition for employees of the National Bureau of Statistics is used as an example.

The article discusses the five official mascot characters for the 2008 Olympic Games to be held in Beijing, China. Artist Han Meilin originally created five childlike characters. After Olympic officials requested various changes, though, the resulting mascots represented various animals, along with the Olympic flame. Critics have been numerous.

The article discusses the challenges confronting advertisers in China in the aftermath of a devastating May, 2008 earthquake. Firms such as Procter & Gamble Co. and Coca-Cola Co. are trying to determine how best to communicate with a traumatized population. Some companies have found it helpful to publicize their earthquake-related relief efforts.

The article focuses on Kraft Foods Inc. and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Irene Rosenfeld. Rosenfeld has given more authority to Kraft's separate business units to foster growth. A redesign of the company's popular Oreo cookie which became a tremendous success in China is cited as an example of this strategy.

The article discusses opposition to the use of wooden chopsticks in China. Chinese environmentalists regard the disposable utensils as wasteful. Hundreds of restaurants in Beijing have committed to replacing wooden chopsticks with reusable ones. Chopstick manufacturers argue that their product's manufacture creates jobs for poor people.

The article presents an interview with Wang Wei, the secretary-general of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games. When asked about challenges the committee faces prior to the 2008 Olympics, Wang says it must let the world know what the Chinese government has done to improve the environment. He comments on Beijing's bid to become the host city for the 2008 Olympics. Wang believes that the Chinese government has made efforts to have honest disclosure about social issues.

The article focuses on the China Central Television Tower, which is nearing completion and is located in Beijing, China. The tower was designed by architects Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren. A discussion of the tower's unique design, which is said to resemble a deformed doughnut, is presented. The tower is part of a plan of the Chines authorities to transform Beijing in time for the 2008 Olympics

The article focuses on negative public reaction which is being seen in China to the Chinese government's plans to raise pigs exclusively for the athletes of the 2008 Olympics. Computer bloggers across the country are protesting the raising of the pigs, which will be fed an organic diet and receive daily exercise, because they feel that they are an example of government excess, and that the government should be focusing instead on government corruption, workplace safety and food safety.

The article focuses on the launching of Reebok International's largest ever marketing campaign in China, which was held in September of 2007 and features basketball star Yao Ming. The campaign uses the theme called "Fuel Yao's Unlimited Power" and consists of television and digital advertisements that encourage Chinese consumers to support Ming as he prepares for the 2008 Beijing, China Olympic Games.

The article focuses on the Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and its owner Terry Gou. Gou's company is China's biggest electronics exporter and the world's biggest contract manufacturer of electronics. The company's revenue has increased more than 50% a year during the past decade. Gou comments on being in the spotlight. The article discusses the conditions of Gou's Shenzhen, China facility, Gou's changing role within the company and the history of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.

The article focuses on the plans of Beijing, China to invest $40 million into equipment and personnel that will help ensure that the city's public rest rooms are clean for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and leave a positive image in the minds of tourists who visit the city for the games. A discussion of changes which have been seen in China's public toilet facilities since 1987 is presented.

The article focuses on an increase in the number of Chinese corporations, including China Yangtze Power Co., that are heavily investing in local stocks in China in an effort to fuel the positive financial performance of China's stock indexes and increase their own profits. A discussion of the impact a reversal in the stock market could have on the companies' investments is presented.

The article reports on difficulties Chinese athletes who are participating in the 2008 Olympic Games are encountering while trying to gain access to marketing deals from television advertisers who want them to appear in commercials. While the athletes want the deals, the Chinese government wants them to focus on training and winning medals. A discussion of a proposed ban which would keep the athletes from engaging in all social activities including advertising and public relations is presented.

The article reports on immense pieces of architecture which have been designed and constructed in Beijing, China in anticipation of the city's hosting of the 2008 Olympics. A discussion of facilities which have been constructed for the games including a national stadium and national aquatic center is presented. The fate of the immense architecture after the Olympics and an expansion of Beijing's airport which was performed to allow 60 million people to pass through it annually, is discussed.

The article focuses on an increase in apartment and home ownership which has been seen in China since 1985. In 1985, prior to China's housing reform which allowed citizens to buy their state owned apartments, privately owned homes accounted for less than 17% of urban housing stock. Since that time rates of home ownership have increased to 80%. A proposed 2007 law which is intended to increase the quality of service provide by property managers is discussed.

The article focuses on a campaign which has been launched by authorities in Beijing, China in preparation for the city's hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games. The authorities have increased efforts to discourage inappropriate public behavior such as spitting, littering and cutting into lines at public events. Anti-spiting and littering signs have been placed throughout the city and fines have been created for anyone who does not cooperate.

The article reports that Google Inc. has been criticized by Chinese government newspaper "The People's Daily" for allegations of China-based hacking.

The article focuses on law enforcement authorities in Suichang County, China who would be required by Lishui City officials to apologize to Chinese business reporter Qiu Ziming after they put him on a wanted list for articles criticizing local paper manufacturer Zhejiang Kan Specialty Material Co. in July 2010.

The article focuses on the claim of the Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. that it serves as the backbone of village finance yet 2009 data showed that only 2% of the loans of the bank have been provided to rural households in China.

The article discloses the results of the annual survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China for 2010 which highlighted the growing concern among members about protectionism and its potential impact on their businesses as well as their continued optimism about the economy.

The article reports on the move by the Chinese central government to investigate into violations of safety regulations in mines and other high-risk workplaces following a coal-mine accident that occurred in the northern region of the country.

The article focuses on the uncertainty facing the Chinese company Orca Digital Inc. regarding its partnership to distribute music online for free with the Internet company Google Inc., which could possibly withdraw from the Chinese market.

The article reports on support voiced by Chinese companies for a request by Beijing that state agencies buy technological products with local intellectual property despite confusion about the new procurement rules. The rules will create an accreditation system that promotes local products to government buyers. Global companies and the U.S. Department of Commerce opposed the new rules because they violate the international trade principles. Fang Yuzhen of Dawning Information Industry described the rules as vague.

The article reports that key Arab states are being encouraged by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama to increase oil exports to China aimed at reducing the reliance of Beijing on Iranian energy as of 2009. The U.S. and Emirati officials cited the agreement of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the strategy by raising exports from 50,000 barrels per day to between 150,000 to 200,000. The U.S. and its allies in Europe consider the potential of China as a key player in an international effort to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program.

The article focuses on China's rural personal computer (PC) market. It states that manufacturers Lenova Group Ltd. and Hewlett-Packard Co. are aggressively expanding sales networks into China's countryside. It mentions that a 586 billion dollar government subsidy program to stimulate China's government is helping encourage its economy by increasing spending in rural regions. It comments on marketing tactics used by PC vendors to penetrate remote rural regions that lack electronic retail stores.

This article focuses on a 2009 survey by Rural Development Institute which found that Chinese farmers have been getting higher rents for their land and increasingly renting it for longer periods. According to the survey, median annual rent for farmland increased from 125 U.S. dollars to 265 U.S. dollars during the 2005-2008 period. Particular focus is given to the restrictions facing China's land market. The institute claims the rental increase can be attributed to the rise in world prices for farm produce.

The article reports on the approval of pre-emptive penalties on China's steel pipe imports by the European Union (EU) trade officials on July 28, 2009. Trade experts stressed the importance of the vote made by EU trade officials because they have accepted an argument from steel manufacturers about the need for tariffs in order to protect the industry from the impact of underpriced imports from China. Also noted are the factors that affected the steel industry in EU which includes high labor and environmental costs in Europe.

The article reports on the speculated outcome of the disputed elections in Moldova on July 29, 2009. According to the author, Moldovans are facing the choice of voting for the ruling Communist Party and receiving loans from Chinese and Russian supporters to boost the economy, or putting their faith in the West. Also noted are the issues arising from the interests of China and Russia in Moldova. Political analysts predict a possible defeat of the Western-leaning opposition parties in Moldova.

This article reports on the decision of workers of Baidu Inc. to stop their strike at the site of the Chinese Internet search site in 2009. The workers made the move even though they had not reached an agreement with the company over compensation policies. The workers will give the company three days to provide a fair response to their grievances.