The State-Owned Assets Law
News, page 4
The first draft of the proposed State-Owned Assets Law made public recently has yet to answer some fundamental questions such as its definition and its scope of coverage, according to one drafter Li Shuguang, from the University of Politics and Laws of China.
Original article: [Chinese]

Chinese Laws Contradicting International Standard of GPA
News, page 5
The exclusion of state-owned enterprises' (SOE) projects in China's recently submitted application for joining the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) of the WTO has sparked controversy. The European Union and the United States are pressing China to open up SOE contracts for international competitions as the enterprises are considered part of government institutions. Meanwhile, China maintains that local law grants SOE's certain autonomy in carrying out operations such as awarding contracts, and thus cannot be classified under public procurement.
Original article: [Chinese]

Housing Barriers for Outsiders in Shanghai
Nation, page 10
The Shanghai local government has denied that it imposed discriminative housing ruling against non-locals, but real estate industry players are saying otherwise. The latter argue that an official document stating "the core of house purchase policy is to be based on residential permits" has clearly indicated control over outsider investment in Shanghai properties. The measure is believed to be aimed at curbing market speculation.
Original article: [Chinese]

Dongguan Seeking Rejuvenation
Nation, page 11
As OEM companies are pulling out of Dongguan en-mass, the once prosperous manufacturing base in southern China is experiencing declining economic growth. Dongguan is now at a crossroads of economic transformation, yet the officials are undecided which direction to turn and torn between producing high-end goods or financial services.
Original article: [Chinese]