Middle power meets Middle Kingdom: Abbott looks to China Tony Abbott’s initial forays into foreign relations are exceeding expectations. True, the bar was set pretty low for many critics, but the new team is clearly intent on sending positive signals about the importance of Asia in particular. The big...

In the dairy world, bigger is better, says David Williams, who is advising Bega Cheese Ltd on its attempted takeover of Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Ltd. Williams, founder of boutique advisory firm Kidder Williams, forecasts further Asian investment in dairy exporters along the lines of a deal last year...

Senior federal government ministers say any proposal by Indonesia to buy Australian farmland for cattle grazing will be under joint venture arrangements.accoeding to SKY News Australia. The Indonesian government has expressed interest in acquiring a large tranche of pastoral land in northern Australia to breed cattle, but the proposal...

AA Co Chairman Donald McGauchie gives his views on  Australia’s potential role as a food bowl for Asia, the likelihood of foreign investment in Australian agriculture
,the branding and marketing of Australian agricultural exports, the need for sustained R&D in the agricultural sector to lift productivity levels and AACo’s plans...

Problems with Australia’s foreign investment review system are more rooted in perception than in reality. Many of the gripes we hear from Chinese miners about confusing laws and taxes, environmental standards and stakeholder concerns are just the growing pains of a sector that is still finding its way on...

Since the beginning of the global crisis in 2007-08 I have argued that the crisis was a consequence primarily of global trade imbalances generated by structural features that led to significant saving imbalances in China, the US, and within Europe. I describe this model in more detail in my...

“Hedge funds and Asian buyers, especially from China, are analysing mining companies and agricultural businesses including dairy, cattle and wheat farms that are in distress with a view to take controlling or minority stakes. Turnaround and insolvency experts, lawyers, bankers and hedge funds themselves say they expect the mining...

The requirement that investments from China over $248 million be referred to the Foreign Investment Review Board for approval is reportedly a sticking point for Australia-China Free Trade Agreement negotiations. Beijing wants the review-free threshold raised to $1 billion in line with concessions offered to American and New Zealand...

The announcement by Paramount top brass that World War Z had delivered career-best box office for Brad Pitt served as reminder of the consistency of international markets this summer. Screen International reports today that “while blockbuster season 2013 has been strong in North America where it could even set...

Screen Daily reports today that “the stand-off over outstanding payments owed to Hollywood studios by China appears to nearing resolution in light of comments made by MPAA head Chris Dodd. Hollywood studios said they have not been paid a share of box office by Chinese officials since last autumn,...