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SHANGHAI has created 443,000 new jobs by the end of June this year, fulfilling 88.6 percent of the city's yearly target of 500,000 positions.

More than 20,000 people so far have found jobs through a Full Employment Community program in 23 neighborhoods in Pudong New Area this year, the Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau announced yesterday.

The program, the first of its kind in Shanghai, grants that at least one person in each household is employed. Meanwhile, those between the ages of 40 and 50, who usually find it hard to get jobs, have been offered training programs, job opportunities as well as applications for insurance and subsidies, Jiefang Daily reported today.

The bureau launched a work loan policy in April to encourage self employment, a way to relieve unemployment pressure.

The bureau said it would offer loan guarantees of up to 500,000 yuan (US$66,050) to people starting their own businesses. The loan would be interest-free if paid back in time, the report said.

In the city's suburbs, more than 5,000 newly-established labor organizations have created 15,000 jobs in the first half of this year, the report said.

The bureau also set up an employment promotion coalition with companies. The eyeglasses and watch repairer Sanlian Group is among the participants aiming to provide more jobs and intern opportunities for unemployed youth.

More than 14,000 young people, mostly vocational graduates, have registered to take internships with these companies, an increase of 162 percent from last year. Sixty percent of these people were hired after internships, the report said.

The government said in March that it planned to keep the registered unemployment rate below 4.5 percent this year,

But the employment situation looks grim as more than 143,000 students will graduate from colleges and universities in the city this year, an 11 percent increase from last year, which should add to job market pressure.

China's prestigious Tsinghua University will recruit 134 teachers worldwide, the Beijing News reported here Sunday.

Tsinghua will recruit 49 professors or researchers and 85 associate professors and researchers, the paper quoted the sources from the University as saying.

"We will strictly verify recommendation letters, theses and other related information submitted by applicants to root out academic fraud," said an official in charge of personnel affairs of the university.

Tsinghua required the applicants from out of Tsinghua to submit at least five theses, and overseas applicants to submit at least three recommendation letters.

In March 2006, Liu Hui, a professor was removed from his post for fabricating his academic achievements and work experience.

Currently, Tsinghua encourages professors and associate professors from both in and out of Tsinghua to compete for the academic posts available each year as part of its reforms of existing teachers' employment system.

The recruitment will be terminated on October 10 and the final results will be unveiled by the end of December, university sources said.

Moody's lifts China's ratings a notch, citing strong external-payments position
By Polya Lesova, MarketWatch
Last Update: 11:35 AM ET Jul 26, 2007

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Standard & Poor's raised its outlook on China to positive from stable, citing the country's reforms in bankruptcy, property, and labor laws this year.

"These reforms should underpin a high-single-digit trend rate of growth in China and at the same time improve the productivity of investment, thereby reducing the risks of unduly large fluctuations in growth," S&P credit analyst Kim Eng Tan said in a statement Thursday.

S&P doesn't expect any material disruptions between China and the U.S., its largest trading partner, despite rising protectionist attitudes in Congress. S&P affirmed its A long-term and A-1 short-term sovereign credit ratings on China.

"The ratings on China could rise if its leadership embraces market-based policies more readily, or if the government strengthened public finances further," Tan said.

The ratings-outlook revision by S&P comes after Moody's upgraded China's long-term foreign-currency bonds to A1 from A2 Thursday. Moody's cited the exceptional strength of China's external-payments position, favorable government debt trends, and continued progress in economic reform.

"China's very strong external-payments position provides insulation from external shocks and allows the authorities time to expand and deepen structural reform," Moody's Senior Vice President Tom Byrne said in a statement.

"Official foreign-exchange reserves continue to grow and now exceed $1.3 trillion, and external obligations of the government and state-owned banks are a small fraction of that sum," Byrne said.

China's Shanghai Composite index rose 0.5% to a record finish of 4,346.46 Thursday. The Dow Jones China 88 index, a measure of 88 highly liquid stocks listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen, rose 0.6% to 374.62. See Asia Markets.

SHANGHAI, China, July 25 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 51job, Inc. (Nasdaq: JOBS), a leading provider of integrated human resource services in China, and Recruit Co., Ltd., a leading information services company in Japan serving businesses and consumers in numerous market segments, including human resource services, real estate and automobiles, announced today a cooperation agreement to establish a new company focused on providing coupon advertising services in China.

Independently incorporated, this new coupon advertising company will benefit from 51job's distribution expertise and leverage Recruit's deep product knowledge to help local businesses to tap into the rapidly growing consumer market in China. 51job operates 23 editions of 51job Weekly and distributes several million copies each week throughout China. A recognized market leader in the printing and distribution of free coupon magazines, Recruit publishes Hot Pepper, which was launched in 2001 and has expanded to 49 area-specific editions in Japan today.

"Combining our companies' strengths and experiences, we believe the new coupon company will provide a compelling and targeted advertising solution for businesses as well as an effective information channel for consumers in China," said Rick Yan, President and Chief Executive Officer of 51job.

Chinese Official Says 'Mass Incidents' Involving Labor Disputes on the Rise

BEIJING (AP) -- "Mass incidents" by workers have been on the rise in China as they struggle to protect their rights amid a roaring, fast-changing economy, a senior national legislature official was quoted as saying in state media.

Yang Jingyu, chairman of the Law Committee of the National People's Congress, China's legislature, was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday as saying the number of labor disputes had increased by more than 13 times between 1995 and 2006.

He did not give any figures or examples, and did not define what constituted a mass incident.

China's communist leaders have been struggling with a widening wealth gap as the country's economy takes off, with urban areas and workers reaping vastly more benefits from economic reforms than rural workers.

"With accelerating industrialization and urbanization in China, infringement on employees' rights are occurring frequently," Yang was quoted as saying.

Yang said only 20 percent of small and medium-sized companies and private companies have signed labor contracts with their employees.

More than half of employers offer only short-term contracts to keep down costs.

"These problems have made it very difficult for the employees to protect their lawful rights," Yang said.

The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN - News) will cut its workforce by 10% in an attempt to cut costs. The company will eliminate 7,600 jobs, an increase from the 3,000 job cuts it announced in February. According to AstraZeneca, the reductions will save the company $900 million per year by 2010.

CEO David Brennan said the job cuts would most directly affect the company’s European sales and marketing staff. After that, the largest staff reductions would be in research and development – “and other areas” – in Britain, Sweden, Germany, France, the United States, and Canada. AstraZeneca will record a $1.6 billion charge in connection with the firings.

While AstraZeneca is cutting back on its expenditures elsewhere in the world, it is spending money to expand its presence in China and build revenues from the country. Also, it seems to be transferring some of its business to China in an attempt to keep a lid on costs.

Last year, AstraZeneca announced that it would spend $100 million over three years in China to build the AstraZeneca Innovation Center China. The R&D facility, to be based in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, will focus on translational science, developing knowledge about Chinese patients, biomarkers and genetics. The goal is to discover innovative drugs that treat cancer patients in China.

Also, AstraZeneca has a $14 million pact with WuXi Pharmatech (see story), in which WuXi is performing compound collection synthesis for AstraZeneca. The big pharma also entered a collaboration with Shanghai Jiao Tong University that will seek to understand the genetics of schizophrenia.

AstraZeneca was an early entrant into China, establishing operations there in 1993. AstraZeneca China is headquartered in Shanghai, with branch offices in 20 other cities, and a production plant in Wuxi, Jiang Su Province, built in 2001. That facility manufactures about 80% of all the products the company sells in China. All told, AstraZeneca China has 2900 employees involved in the manufacturing, sales, marketing and clinical research of new products.

As we reported earlier (see story), AstraZeneca China will inaugurate a center in China to source APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) there, with the goal of placing orders for $100 million of API by 2010. Eventually, it expects 90% of its API to come from China.

The API initiative is a vote of confidence in the strengthened Intellectual Property rights now available in China and the high quality of manufacturing there – as well as the lower prices. At the same time as it began its API sourcing in China, AstraZeneca China changed its slogan from “In China for China,” to “In China for Global.”

A Top a leading provider of custom cable assemblies and wire harnesses
Location: Suzhou
Report to: Director of Engineering

Description of duties:
To assist in the development and implementation of new projects and product developments. Includes process development, production layout and training to support product manufacturing. This position has global responsibilities in support of all NAI locations.
1.Full technical support of medical and aerospace industries to include, interpretation of technical drawings, support in creation of labor standards and BOM¡¯s, development and implementation of production layouts for harnesses and assemblies and support of tooling requirements associated with these products.
2. Product transfer among facilities to include training, standards and procedures.
3. Ensure compliance to all customer and industry standards.
4. Global coordination of all processes to assure like manufacturing at all facilities.
5. Provide support for the development of labor standards required for product quotations.
6. Leading continual improvement activities to assist in cost reductions of components and production standards.
7. Could require frequent travel to include extended stays of 2-3 months at various site locations.
8. Assess equipment needs.
9. Lead project teams during new project implementation.
10. Introduce and implement new product lines.
11. Aid supply chain with new component sourcing and vendor qualification when necessary.

Requirement:
1. Bachelor's degree required in engineering discipline
2. 10 years project management experience; some must be related to medical industry assemblies.
3. Ability to learn in-house systems
4. Familiarity with medical/aerospace industry and standards for these industries. Preference is for Medical assembly background, aerospace a plus.
5. Experience in developing production layouts and manufacturing strategies
6. Familiar with a lean manufacturing concepts, practices, and procedures.
7. Strong communication skills, English required
8. Ability to read, interpret and understanding technical drawings
9. Strong customer relations
10.Results oriented; have good leadership and coaching skills; excellent communications and interpersonal skills; have demonstrated problem analysis, problem solving, and delegation abilities; and be team oriented and capable of motivating others to follow.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_eng064sz#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

A SHORTAGE of professionals has led to a decrease in the number of multinational companies offering benefits such as flexible work hours, sabbatical leave and gym memberships to their employees this year, according to a recent survey.

Companies in China offer the second lowest number of benefits in Asia, leading only Japan, according to the report by Hudson Recruitment, a Nasdaq-listed human resources company.

Hudson surveyed about 2,500 multinational company executives in Asia about their hiring expectations during the third quarter this year. Altogether 673 of the respondents are based on the Chinese mainland, mostly in Shanghai.

Among all sectors, 44 percent of respondents said that their companies have a work-life balance policy, which is designed to enable staff to balance the demands of their job and personal life.

The figure fell slightly from 47 percent when the same question was asked in the second quarter of 2005 for the previous survey, the report said.

Companies in the information technology sector are the most likely to offer work-life benefits, with more than 51 percent of those companies having such policies.

The sharpest decline was reported in the banking sector, where the percentage of benefit-offering companies dropped from 56 percent to 40 percent.

Angie Eagan, general manager of Hudson China, said that decline was the result of heavy recruiting by banks.

"Most employers do understand the importance of work-life balance, but they just cannot afford the luxury to be flexible with people due to a shortage of talents," Eagan said.

She added that benefits are easily applied in fully staffed companies. Many companies are struggling to find enough trained workers, however, making it difficult to offer such benefits.

The report indicated that employment expectations remain high on the mainland. Sixty percent of respondents plan to increase headcount in the third quarter of this year, the highest level in Asia.

Company introduction:
Our client is a young professional and flexible company mainly active in, but not limited to, the supply of wall and ceiling panels and furniture for the Marine and Offshore building industry. It is a member of a large multinational, operating for over 100 years in the Marine and Offshore building industry. The company offers its clients a team of very experienced sourcing officers, capable of scanning the local and international markets for the best possible solutions.
In both the company¡¯s subsidiaries people work with a young, enthusiastic team of people. Everyone is a professional in his/her own field. They have more than 20 years of experience in sourcing the Chinese/Far East markets and have specific knowledge in marine related products. The company believes that we have to invest in people in order to reach an excellent level of performance.

Report To: GM Global
Location: Shanghai

Responsibilities:
Excellent contacts with customers, colleagues, manufacturers and suppliers are of the utmost importance. You can expand these capabilities and lead this young company to a success. You are representing the company in every way you can.
Your responsibilities:
1.To manage the Shanghai office, in every aspect, coordinating, organising, checking work activities and coaching and managing your staff
2.Developing and implementing strategic management, general management and monitoring the results of the company
3.Being responsible for daily activities such as operational, logistics, sales and commercial activities and developments
4.Being the link between the European head office and China.

You are:
1.A stimulating leader and motivating coach (people¡¯s manager) with experience in personnel management
2.An entrepreneur who works ¡°hands on¡±
3.A strong, dynamic and flexible organizer
4.Commercial, customer focussed and you have excellent social and communication skills
5.Target focussed, problem solving thinking
6.Capable of handling stress
7.Having experience in the furniture industry
8.Prepared to travel
9.Not having a ¡°nine to five¡± mentality
10.Experienced in Microsoft Office software
11.Having an excellent knowledge of the English language, spoken and in writing, is a must.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_eo112sh#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

LABOR officials in the city forced companies to pay 280 million yuan (US$36.98 million) in delayed wage, social insurance fees and illegal deposits from employees from January to June, the Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau said yesterday.

The bureau received more than 10,000 complaints about delayed wages or other fees during the period and inspected more than 20,000 companies around the city. They found 6,987 violations of the law involving about 370,000 workers in total.

The bureau wouldn't provide comparison figures from previous years.

About 39 percent of complaints investigated involved social insurance fees, while delayed wages accounted for 26 percent and unpaid overtime was the focus of 19 percent of grievances.

About 150 million yuan in delayed payments were cleared up during the six-month period.

"The number of cases of deliberately delaying wages dropped during the first half of the year," said bureau official Zhang Yuan, without providing detailed numbers.

"Most of the delayed payments were for extra work or overtime working, and the delays were only one or two months, rather than as long as a year," Zhang said.

The bureau said most of the companies found violating the law were private firms based in the city's suburbs. It wouldn't say how many fines were handed out.

A European leading Semi-conductor and electronic company
Location: Shanghai
Report to: Reporting to the ¡°Equipment engineering manager¡±

Main tasks
1.Technical maintenance of thin film coating systems.
Spare part management. Record spare part consumption for coating equipment maintenance. Continuous improve to tune yearly budget.
2.Provide technical support to production and engineering
3.Support in testing systems and components.
Improve problems and finding in coating systems.
4.Keep technical documentation up to date and organised.
5.Emergency call response and trouble shooting for thin film coating equipment.
6.Support other operation departments during production expansion and production reorganisation.
7.Continues learning and training to developed knowledge and skills.
8.For new equipments in new technologies. Is flexible and able to understand changed requirements in equipment engineering.

Qualifications
1.Bachelor degree or above. Major in EE or related.
ME with good electrical experience am suitable as well.
2.Knowledge and experience in electrical engineering required
3.Additional knowledge in vacuum technology or thin film coating
would be an additional strength.
4.Candidates with Optical or Semiconductors background are preferred.
5.At least 3 years experience in technical support and maintenance
of equipment.
6.Good English skills
7.Work with personal computer and office application a must.
CAD/CAE skills makes it more valuable.
8.Self driven. Can work efficient. Still under bigger work load.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_eng063sh#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

Entrepreneur helps Business People Work with Chinese
16 July 07

Doing business in China can be a tricky experience for those with little or no understanding of the language and culture. Languagebite.com, a new Kiwi website, has created a Chinese language course for busy executives that is fun, engaging and takes only three minutes a day.

In what could be a world first, Joanna Lee, the entrepreneur behind the venture, is combining the convenience of online video with a powerful language learning technique. The result is a simple yet highly effective way of learning key phrases and useful information in easily digestible ¡®bites¡¯. Because each lesson is only a few minutes long, retention of the information is very high ¨C even for people who are incredibly busy. Links to the video lessons arrive daily in your inbox and are expertly designed to teach one full phrase each day.

Helping westerners to build rapport with their Chinese business partners is one of the goals of the program. ¡°We teach useful, simple phrases which will show your Chinese clients and suppliers that you have made an effort to learn some language and a little about the culture¡±. The course covers common phrases for everyday interactions including greetings, introductions, eating out, traveling and talking about family. You will even learn how to ask your taxi driver to slow down, which those who have already been to China will know can be an extremely useful phrase!

The lessons are presented by Ming Jin, a lecturer from a Beijing university. Jin happened to be in New Zealand as a research fellow with Auckland University at the time Language Bite was recruiting for the right person to front the program. ¡°Ming is a gifted presenter ¨C she makes a difficult language easy to follow¡±.

Lee, a linguistics specialist, says that Language Bite¡¯s edge over established international competitors is that it is ¡°devastatingly simple¡± - a link to a new online video lesson is emailed directly to your inbox each day. ¡°Language Bite is designed for busy people. You can learn a new language in your own time, at your own place and it only takes a few minutes each day.¡± The video clips are supported by downloadable sound bites (to store on a computer or MP3 player for practicing anytime and anywhere) and written PDF lesson summaries can be downloaded and stored for future reference.

Language Bite have launched with Mandarin Chinese however Lee has plans to introduce other languages in the near future. ¡°Feedback about the concept has been overwhelmingly positive ¨C people love the simplicity and accessibility of the method¡±. The inspiration for Language Bite came from marrying Lee¡¯s passion for languages and teaching with husband Steve¡¯s interest in e-commerce. ¡°We have developed an extremely powerful way to learn a new language. And we look forward to teaching languages in a fun, user-friendly way to New Zealanders ¨C and the world!¡±

Multinational companies in China face a special challenge in terms of finding their own way to adapt to the local environment. And finding the right staff to achieve this could prove critical to the survival of any start-up company. In today's interview, we speak with the President & CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates... about key issues in effective recruitment.

THE proportion of labor disputes involving private enterprises has dropped for the first time since 2003, according to the Shanghai Labor and Social Security Bureau.

Though a majority of labor disputes still involved private firms, accounting for 40 percent of the total number in the first half, it fell by 11.7 percent compared to the same period last year, the bureau said in its report for the first half of the year released yesterday.

"The number of cases involving privately-owned companies has seen a 20 percent increase in recent years, since many private enterprises were just starting up," Sui Wei, director of the bureau's arbitration division, suggested.

"But the decreased percentage this time implies that employers now have a better awareness of the labor law and pay more attention to protecting employees' rights," Sui said.

The arbitration division received 15,712 disputes in the first half of the year, of which 13,424 were cleared, a 16 percent increase from last year.

The number of disputes involving foreign-invested companies and those from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan rose by three percent, accounting for 23 percent of total disputes.

Meanwhile, stockholding companies saw their case number rise about four percent, making up 15 percent of the total.

According to the division, most of the disputes revolved around wages, social insurance and contract termination.

Among the 4,085 cases arbitrated in the first half, 34 percent were won by employees.

The report also estimated that social insurance disputes could rise next year, because a new labor law will go into effect on January 1, 2008.

The new law stipulates that employees can end their contract if companies fail to hand in standard social security fees.

"In such cases, firms violating the law should pay compensation to employees," said Sui.

A European leading Semi-conductor company
Location: Shanghai
Reporting to the Engineering Manager

Description:
1. Planning and sourcing of equipment related to chemistry and cleaning including the process on these equipment in co-work with the maintenance engineering group
2. Lead development projects in the area of cleaning, gluing and chemistry
3. Assist production in case of cleaning problems
4. Assist and coach engineering projects in the area of cleaning, gluing and chemistry, and getter dispense for TypeX Program
5. Responsible person for all chemistry issues in Optics Shanghai
6. Development of new cleaning process
7. Consulting of internal and external customer
8. Training and introduction of employees in the area of cleaning, gluing and chemistry

Qualification:
1.Bachelor degree or above, major in chemistry discipline
2.Or equivalent along with 3-5 years experience in a Hi-tech manufacturing environment like glue development, US cleaning¡­
3.High level of written and spoken English for Work Instructions , Standard Operating Procedure and Quality Plans development
4.Ability to interface with internal and external customers
5.Ability to interface and train production personnel
6.Must portrait an act of leadership and direction in a manufacturing environment
7.Ability to troubleshoot and solve problems in responsible production line

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_eng062sh#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

Company introduction: Our client is an international education service company provides courses and support for students from all over the world who wish to study for an overseas degree. They guarantee to place successful students on an appropriate university course in the UK, Ireland or Australia.
After students have passed their course, they work with the student to provide advice and support in settling in to their chosen university, and are available if the student has any problems during their degree course.

Job Description:
Report To: VP Finance China and CFO Asia
Location:Shanghai
1.Provide strategic support as a business partner to the CEO
2.Provide value-added advice to senior management and be a key member of the decision making process
3.Lead a sizable team and manage the full finance and accounting activities for all China related operations
4.Ensure integrity and maintain governance
5.Coordinate and gather financials to produce timely consolidated accounts and management reports
6.Completion of periodic reporting packages to head office
7.Monitor month end closing processes, to ensure accurate financial reconciliation
8.Analyze financial operating results and write commentaries
9.Coordinate and gather management information for preparation of budget and rolling forecast, follow up with budgetary control implementation
10.Ensure all internal controls are in place and the policies are compliant with local regulations, taxes, audit and statutory reporting requirements
11.Operational system review and enhancement
12.Liaise and coordinate with third parties, including bank, all government departments, commercial bureau and external auditor
13.Evaluate potential investment opportunities, assist in M & A projects
14.Implement financial operations strategy to drive efficiency, achieve maximum performance and profitability for the operations

Job Requirements:
1.A qualified accountant with recognized 2.Familiar with PRC GAAP, US GAAP, IFRS reporting.
3.Strong awareness and understanding of regulatory and requirements
4.8 years in depth finance experience with MNC, of which 2 years at supervisory / managerial level plus service industry experience is highly preferred
5.High proficiency in system computing and knowledgeable in monitoring complex sales and financial information
6.Fluent in Mandarin and English and good communication skills
7.Strong sense of responsibility, details oriented, good team player and able to meet tight schedule and work under pressure
8.Strong data analysis and problem solving skills coupled with business acumen and commercial senses

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_fi158sh#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

THE city's first group of 270 patent management engineers gained their certificates yesterday after they passed training courses.

They will improve protection of intellectual property in local companies, said Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration officials, which plans to train 3,000 patent management engineers by 2010. Shanghai Intellectual Property Service Center, Shanghai University and Shanghai Institute of Politics and Law are the city's three training bases.

Location: Shanghai
Report to: Engineering Manager

Main tasks
1.Support all production and engineering with glass processing and glass shaping. Develop and procure production equipment required to shape or machine glass into required geometries.
2.Develop and / or maintain manufacturing method systems and processes
3.Determine operations requirements and improve production process
4.Evaluate process repeatability and process validation
5.Assist with cost analysis , address product related issues

Qualifications
1.Bachelor degree or above, major in an engineering discipline
2.2-5 years experience in a Hi-tech manufacturing environment
3.Demonstrated knowledge of materials and processes as related to glass processing and machining
4.High level of written and spoken English; Good PC skills
5.Ability to interface with internal and external customers and suppliers
6.Ability to troubleshoot and solve problems in production line
7.Knowledge of CAD, AutoCAD is helpful
8.Experience with Optics manufacturing is preferred
9.Knowledge and use of SPC methods required

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_eng060sh#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

Location: Guangdong
Report to: Country Business Development Manager

Main tasks
1.In charge of domestic sales & marketing development, finding new customer or new business opportunities to meet company business development strategy
2.Act as key communicator between our company and its customers. Ensuring both internal and customer issues are being researched and resolved in an efficient and timely manner
3.Serve as account manager in early customer RFQ and sample making period by maintaining client issues check lists which are made available to both customers and internal department heads. Coordinating timely our company /client meetings to review the issue list to ensure communication and resources are being properly managed.
4.Assigning responsibilities according to client related issues check lists and communicating this information to the appropriate departments both internally and on the customer side to make sure clear information passing in/out, working with internal departments to ensure quality and supply chain meet customer requirements .
5.Handle customers' enquiries, orders and transactions; retain responsibility for the Customer sample/test order passing on to relevant department and ensure shipping entries.
6.Retain responsibility for tracking customer quotations and find out feedback.
7.Involve in formal sales contract terms communicating and negotiating, draft, amend and check agreement with customer, make sure all legal elements and product privacy are considered in.
8.Maintain smooth customer transfer to relevant internal departments after confirming as formal customer.
9.Other possible responsibilities assigned by superior manager.

Qualifications
1.College /university Degree, engineering background
2.Engineering background, solid technical knowledge of cable assembly industry is required and preferred.
3.5+ yrs sales experience in a multinational OEM in same industry, has experience in Medical, Automotive, Aerospace, and Marine (good plus) cable manufacturing/assembly sales and marketing development. 2 -3 yrs experience to be on a sales key management position. Can develop domestic customers/market independently.
4.Fluent English speaking, skilled at English reading and writing.
5.Solid organization/coordination skills required.
Possess outstanding communication, listening and analytical skills to allow for the concise and accurate dissemination of information to internal team members and clients.
6.Independently working ability and can work under pressures.
Present a positive, professional image. Ability to set the example in all faces of client support and professional conduct.
Capable of handling multiple, complex tasks simultaneously.
Ability to effectively provide resolutions to daily and escalated customer inquiries.

Other Job-related requirements
1.Demonstrated accomplishments in Co. leadership.
2.Demonstrated strong problem-solving skills.
3.Must possess excellent interpersonal skills, maturity and good judgment.
4.Ability to lead by example.
5.Excellent communication, mentoring, empowerment, and resource mgt. a must.
6.Ability to travel on a regular basis.
7.Proficient in computer skills

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_mkt197gd#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

HONG KONG, July 13 - China Netcom Group Corp. (Hong Kong) Ltd. , the smaller of the country's two fixed-line operators, said its vice chairman Tian Suning had resigned due to a heavy workload from his other business.

Executive director Miao Jianhua also resigned and had taken a position at China United Telecommunications Corp., the company said in a statement late on Thursday.

Li Jianguo has been appointed to replace Miao as an executive director and chairman of the board's supervision committee with effect from July 12.

Li holds a senior management position in Netcom's parent, China Network Communications Group Corp. and was an executive director of China Unicom Ltd. .

By Cathy Chan

July 12 (Bloomberg) -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the world's most profitable investment bank, couldn't name the co-head of investment banking in Asia as chief executive officer of its Beijing joint venture because his knowledge of Chinese was too weak, three bankers at the firm said.

Richard Ong, an ethnic Chinese born in Malaysia, didn't write Chinese well enough to take a mandatory test for senior managers, said the bankers, declining to be identified as the matter is private. New York-based Goldman instead promoted Zha Xiangyang, deputy CEO of its China joint venture, Goldman Sachs Gao Hua Securities Co., in May.

Government rules requiring language skills may hurt investment banks' efforts to attract top employees to China, the world's fastest-growing major economy. New York-based Citigroup Inc., Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are seeking joint- venture partners in the nation, where a record $16.3 billion was raised in stock sales during the first half of 2007.

``When you start putting a language requirement on it, it dramatically reduces the pool'' of talent, said George Fifield, managing director of Korn/Ferry International Consulting (Beijing) Ltd. ``It's going to diminish the quality of the team, whether it's on the board or the senior management.''

China began requiring senior executives to take the test in 2004. Managers in place before then have until 2009 to pass the exam before losing their titles.

Stricter Enforcement

The language requirement applies to CEOs, deputy CEOs and the heads of supervisory boards at locally incorporated securities firms, according to the industry regulator. The test includes both written and verbal components.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission has stepped up enforcement since December, though it can still grant exemptions for foreign executives. The financial watchdog said Nov. 30 it would punish securities firms that appoint managers who haven't passed the exam. The regulator wasn't more specific.

Goldman, the world's biggest securities firm by market value, moved Ong, 42, to Beijing from Singapore last year to head its China operations after former Asia co-head of investment banking Bill Wicker moved back to New York and Goldman China CEO Joseph Stevens quit in October to join Standard Chartered Plc, the London-based bank that makes most of its money in Asia.

Ong, who headed the Singapore office for about four years, declined to comment, as did Goldman spokesman Edward Naylor. The CSRC didn't respond to faxed questions.

Zha, 40, is a co-founder of Chinese brokerage Gao Hua Securities Co. Gao Hua owns 67 percent of Goldman Sachs Gao Hua and Goldman controls the rest.

Goldman and UBS

Goldman is the No. 3 foreign underwriter of stock sales in China and Hong Kong this year, after Morgan Stanley, the second- biggest U.S. securities firm, and Zurich-based UBS AG, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Goldman and UBS, Europe's largest bank by assets, are the only foreign investment banks licensed to underwrite domestic share sales in China, where the economy expanded at 11.1 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier. Executives at Citigroup, the biggest U.S. bank, JPMorgan, the third-largest, and Morgan Stanley have said the companies are seeking partners in China.

China's enforcement of language testing is part of a plan to give locals increased access to top positions at securities firms. The rule sets China apart from Japan, another Asian nation where English proficiency is low.

Mark Branson, CEO of UBS's Japanese securities venture, and Federico Sacasa, president of Aozora Bank Ltd., controlled by New York-based buyout fund Cerberus Capital Management LP, are among senior executives in the nation who don't read or write Japanese.

UBS has mainly hired locally. Chinese executives at its venture include Chairman David Li.

``Goldman shouldn't have appointed someone who doesn't read or write Chinese to head its China business in the first place,'' said Guo Ming, managing director of human resources consultant EAL Consulting in China.

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - Alibaba.com has appointed Maggie Wu as its new chief financial officer, a spokeswoman for the Chinese internet firm told XFN-Asia.

Wu will also join the company's board as an executive director, the spokeswoman said.

Wu will commence duties as CFO at the end of this month.

Before joining Alibaba.com, Wu worked as a partner in audit practice at KPMG in Beijing.

Previously, Alibaba Group CFO Joseph Tsai also acted as the finance chief of Alibaba.com's operations.

Following a recent reorganization, Alibaba.com became a wholly-owned business-to-business subsidiary of Alibaba Group that acts independently from its parent.

While Wu will take charge of Alibaba.com's financial affairs, Tsai will remain CFO of Alibaba Group.

San Francisco (IDGNS) - Networking equipment vendor 3Com is counting on low labor costs in China to help the company earn better margins on its products and compete against rivals like Cisco Systems, the company's chief executive officer said Wednesday.

"There is one large player who is enjoying 68 percent to 70 percent gross margin on its products, while others are enjoying 40 percent to 45 percent gross margins," Edgar Masri, 3Com's CEO and president, said in an apparent reference to Cisco.

However, the disparity in salaries between China and other countries creates an "arbitrage opportunity" for 3Com, he said.

Arbitrage is the practice of exploiting price differences between two markets. While Cisco and others rely on expensive engineering talent in the U.S. and elsewhere, Masri is betting that cheaper labor costs in China will give 3Com an advantage, allowing it to price its products 30 percent to 40 percent lower than its competition.

3Com's strategy bears a striking resemblance to that employed by Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies, which took advantage of lower costs in China to undercut its competitors and build a growing stake in the worldwide telecommunications market. Once a little-known Chinese company, Huawei is now a major player, having won deals across Asia and in Europe.

The resemblance is not an accident. In March, 3Com acquired the remaining shares in H3C Technologies, a joint venture the company set up with Huawei in 2003. As a result of that deal, 3Com acquired the 2,400 R&D engineers employed by H3C in China.

The engineers help give 3Com an advantage over its competitors, Masri said, claiming that rivals' labor costs are up to five times higher than 3Com's.

By Zhang Xi (chinadaily.com.cn)

Peking University released its recruitment plan for postgraduates on Sunday, which raised dissatisfaction of students from other universities.

Beida plans to enroll 4,300 postgraduates and 1,400 doctorial students this year, but not all college graduates can go there by taking an entrance exam. The prestigious university will focus on recruiting those who do not need to sit exams, but instead rely on the recommendations of the colleges where they received their bachelor degrees.

The plan shows of the prospective postgraduates studying sciences, 50 to 80 percent of them will be recommended. And at least half of the new postgraduates in other departments will also be recommended to Beida. In total, the university will enroll seven percent more recommended students than last year. As a result, only a few prospective postgraduates can enter Peking University by taking entrance exams.

In the past, half of those recommended students were from Beida, and the other came from other post secondary institutions. Peking University' s admission policy says only excellent graduates who are from prestigious universities and recommended by their colleges are entitled to enter Beida without taking postgraduate entrance examinations. However, very few students are lucky enough to get the chance.

A student at Capital Medical University is unhappy with the plan. "I think it's very unfair!" she exclaimed. "Although Beida will enroll 4,000 postgraduates this year, only half of them will be picked by the entrance exam." She continued, "Only one student in my class can be recommended. We just want to go to Peking University through our hard work. But how can we get in with such few chances?"

"I didn't do well in my college entrance exam four years ago," says Li Chen, a graduate at a university outside Beijing . "I wish to be a postgraduate in Beida by taking an examination. Can't postgraduate students get in even if they don't have a bachelor's degree from a top university? It's prejudice. All prospective postgraduates at Beida should compete in the entrance exam."

Peking University has its reasons to recruit more students through recommendation. Through their experience, supervisors of postgraduates have found that recommended students "have higher academic levels and tend to be more devoted to studying".

Professor Wen Rumin has worked as a postgraduate supervisor for a long time in Beida's Chinese Department. He says, "The university is doing the right thing since some prospective postgraduates are only good at taking exams rather than academic studies." He believes the academic levels of recommended students are higher than their counterparts who come to Beida by taking exams.

Wen did not think the recruitment policy is unfair because the most important goals of postgraduate education are guaranteeing the teaching quality and selecting qualified talent.

Other supervisors think many students come to Beida by taking the entrance exam and only want to get a degree from Beida rather than really study a subject. From this aspect, they are not as good as those recommended students, who are more welcomed by supervisors.

An educator and professor at Renmin University , Gu Haibing, said Peking University has right to decide how to recruit students. Universities and supervisors should be entitled to enroll suitable postgraduates, as long as the recruitment process is open and with essential supervision.

Company Introduction:
The Company is a rapid developing technology company in China. It attracted investment from several VCs since 2005 and plans to be listed overseas in the near following years. The company is in rapid development stage and expect the candidate to help establish both sufficient control and accounting procedures, drive business development by operating plan, performance management and support new business development, as well as prepare for future IPO requirements (preliminarily planned to be listed at NASDAQ).

Reporting to: Financial Controller
Location: Beijing
Job responsibilities:
The Finance guy will work closely with the company FC or COO in setting and meeting the strategic goals of the business and supporting growth objectives. He/She will provide overall financial management through strong controllership, regulatory, treasury, tax, management reporting, planning and business analysis and development functions.
1.Develop MIS, assists in the formulation of the annual budget, reviews and analyses monthly management accounts (e.g. setting KPIs for each dept.);
2.Ensures that the company has effective financial control of operations by monitoring and overseeing the use of control systems, procedures and mechanisms;
3.Statutory reporting and tax compliance and planning;
4.Assist in the evaluation of financing proposals;
5.Liaises with banks and other financial institutions (namely commercial banks and investment banks), audit, tax and VCs;
6.Need to lead a team including accountants and cashiers.

Requirements:
1.Bachelor Degree or above, major in Finance or Accounting, ACCA/CIMA/CGA/CPA is required;
2.At least 5 years accounting and finance experience in MNC/JV, familiar with tax, internal control, AR/AP, fixed assets, cash and bank, as well as financial and management reporting, planning and business development. Big 4 or internal audit, internet/telecommunication/semiconductor company, overseas IPO, corporate finance, consulting, treasury, ERP, ABC, US GAAP/IFRS reporting experience is preferred, though not required;
3.Strong people and management skills, organizational/time management skills, negotiation and communication skills in both Chinese and English;
4.Attracted by high business growth per annum. Enjoys a challenge, responsibility and involvement in decision making;
5.Familiar with financial and accounting software tools and systems with high Level computer skills especially Excel.
6.Strong financial analysis and modeling skills.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_fi157bj#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

Job Description:
Company introduction:
Our client has over 70 years experience of supplying specialist chemicals to the construction industry. By concentrating on innovation and service to the customer, it now leads the way in specification selling into the construction chemicals market. This wealth of experience is gained from our worldwide presence in more than 20 countries, with exports to a further 50 countries. Their main customers are building, civil engineering and specialist contractors, served by a proactive and knowledgeable sales team. They also provide advice to architects and engineering consultants on the specification and use of the systems. They are supported by a global network of industry specialists, research laboratories and manufacturing facilities.
It is the leading supplier of high quality, cost effective systems for construction, protection and repair of concrete structures. With the development in Asia, they are welcome more talent to join in.

Report To:Regional VP
Location: Shanghai

Responsibilities:
1.To establish and maintain a culture of HSE and Manufacturing excellence across the defined geographical region.
2.Delivering measurable business value through implementation of improvement programs and application of best practice.
3.Working on behalf of the Regional VP¡¯s and through the Opco management teams.
4.Be the key conduit between the Regional business and the HSE & Manufacturing Technology function, providing both definition of requirements and practical support in delivering them.
5.HSE
-Ensure that standards are fully implemented across the region and provide verification of HSE performance to GM/VP
-Provide support and technical advice to Operating Companies in implementation of the standards
-Ensure that all relevant legislative requirements are understood and met
-Based on group standards and best practice, establish, in conjunction with Opco GM, an HSE improvement program for each Opco within the region, and ensure that the plan is embedded with the business budget
6.Manufacturing Technology
-Based on best practice, and in conjunction with the GM establish for each Opco in the region a Manufacturing Improvement Program, signed off by GM and incorporated into the budget. Program to deliver measurable benefits according to the needs of the Business
-Co-ordinate and provide feedback to HSE and Manufacturing Technology team for necessary initiatives and definition of best practice
- Co-ordinate and ensure implementation of specific HSE and Manufacturing Technology initiatives defined centrally
- Working with the group to produce modular designed plants for Powder, admixture etc.
- Scanning and evaluating the latest technology in manufacturing to raise standards and meet future needs.
7.Competency Management and Organisational Framework
-Based on defined competency framework, evaluate level of competency in all Opcos and advise GMs and VP¡¯s accordingly
-Establish with the local OPCO a program of improvement and competence development
-Establish with the local OPCO the optimum organisational model for HSE and manufacturing.

8.Resource Management
-In conjunction with GMs, analysis and define resource requirements across the region to deliver the agreed improvement programs
-Co-ordinate all demands for additional specialist support and agree priorities and commitments with GM HSE and Manufacturing Technology.

Requirements:
1.Degree in engineering or similar technical discipline from a recognized university.
2.Experience in batch manufacturing. 10+ years experience in HSE, Manufacturing, Operational Management, Process Engineering, Project management.
3.Outperformed sales skills and very strong capability in potential partners define.
4.Exposure to transport/logistics operations.
5.High energy and drive, with the ability to work in different cultures and at different levels in the organization.
6.Ability to rationalise the needs of different stakeholders, and where necessary take an independent stance.
7.Ability in second or more languages. Fluent in English.
8.Good understanding of business drivers, ability to ensure delivery of business value
9.Experience of living in different countries

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_eo111sh#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

Company introduction:
Our client has over 70 years experience of supplying specialist chemicals to the construction industry. By concentrating on innovation and service to the customer, it now leads the way in specification selling into the construction chemicals market. This wealth of experience is gained from our worldwide presence in more than 20 countries, with exports to a further 50 countries. Their main customers are building, civil engineering and specialist contractors, served by a proactive and knowledgeable sales team. They also provide advice to architects and engineering consultants on the specification and use of the systems. They are supported by a global network of industry specialists, research laboratories and manufacturing facilities.
It is the leading supplier of high quality, cost effective systems for construction, protection and repair of concrete structures. With the development in Asia, they are welcome more talent to join in.

Report To: GM, Greater China
Location: Guangzhou, & various places in China
Responsibilities:
1.To oversee the group¡¯s expansion plan in China.
2.To increase manufacturing locations and facilities throughout China.
3.To ensure all projects proceed in a professional manner from inception through to feasibility study, procurement, implementation and commissioning.
4.Manage the whole process in accordance with the group capital project system ensuring time completion within budget and to required quality standards.
5.Managing the CPS, co-ordinating the design process ¨C both mechanical and civil engineering aspect.
6.Feasibility study. Procurement of goods and services.
7.Cost Control.
8.Implementing programs and projects on time and on budget.
9.Using professional concepts in creative ways in working on assignments.
10.Working with both leadership and hourly production to ensure capital projects and other improvements are both cost and resource efficient.
11.Collecting, analyzing, and presenting Engineering data to evaluate projects. Solves complex problems with in-depth evaluation of a variety of factors.
12.Manageming projects from conception to completion or project portions as assigned.
13.Setting clear goals and leading a team to achieve those goals

Requirements:
1. 15 years project management experience
2. Leadership ability in multi-disciplinary team
3. English and Mandarin ¨C Both written and spoken.
4. HSC ¨C Compliance in HSSE
5. Ensure completion, timely and commitment.
6. Excellent skills on MS office applications

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_oth043gz#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

NEW DELHI: Engineering and technology firms in the United Kingdom are turning to India, China and South Africa to fulfill their skills requirement, a latest survey has said.

In the UK, 48 per cent of the companies in the sector have recruited people from overseas in the last 12 months to cover specific skills shortages, a survey by Institution of Engineering and Technology said, indicating a major chunk of this was carried out in India, China and South Africa.

UK firms are turning to countries such as India, China and South Africa to plug the skills gap," it said.

The survey cautioned that the skill shortage is unlikely to improve in the short or medium term. This is likely to drive the companies to countries like India where cheap labour is available.

Proportion of companies that are expected to face difficulties in recruiting adequate qualified engineers, technicians or technologists over the next four years had risen to 51.8 per cent in 2007 from 40.2 per cent in 2006, said the survey, which took into account 500 respondents.

"The engineering and technology sector is vital to the future prosperity of the UK's economy and an increase in skill shortages puts the future growth, success and competitive advantage of many businesses into serious doubt.

"The UK desperately needs to increase the pool of engineers and technicians to meet the demand," IET Director of Professional Operations Paul Jackson said.

The IET survey builds on information from 2006 and shows that although sector is growing, only 56 per cent of respondents believed they would be able to recruit enough people into engineering and technical roles this year.

The survey also found more than 70 per cent of companies in the UK are struggling to recruit experienced or mid career level staff, which could threaten growth and competitiveness.

It revealed that recruitment of women in the UK has remained static with just seven per cent of the engineering and technology workforce represented by the fairer sex.

The proportion of women in the sector would remain the same for the coming next four years as well, IET projected.

IET provides a global knowledge network to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas and promotes the positive role of science, engineering and technology in the world.

THE city's first career-training program for jobless young people and their parents is open for business in Wujiaochang area of Yangpu District.

Officials said yesterday the free initiative will target unemployed people under the age of 30 and their parents to offer them up-to-date job-seeking information and teach them application skills on a monthly basis.

"Different from ordinary career consultation for young people, this program is designed to inform parents about the latest job-market developments and encourage parents to help solve their children's unemployment problems," said Shen Lixia, a community official and the program initiator.

Shen said that the idea of parent education came after she found out how important a role that Chinese parents play in their children's job-seeking process.

At a job fair that the community held earlier this year, about 30 percent of young unemployed people had their parents looking for positions and talking with recruiters instead of themselves.

Parents of a 28-year-old woman, who had just found a supermarket cashier's job after five years of unemployment, even complained that the position was too hard for their daughter.

And some parents nag their jobless children daily, comparing them unfavorably with their peers.

Wang Meiping, a professional career consultant at the Hongkou District Job Placement Center, said they can understand parents trying to protect their only child.

"But excessive intervention or blame can hurt children's confidence and hamper their job seeking," said Wang, who was invited to give the first lecture to more than 20 young people and their parents on Sunday.

Program officials will keep track of attendees and expand the program.

The specific tasks that the post holder will have to undertake as part of the Business Development Executive role will include:

•Develop market knowledge of Ningbo business, and especially in sectors where the UNNC, Nottingham and the East Midlands have a clear strength, including:
Environmental technology 
Construction / Property
Transport 
Banking and Finance
Healthcare (Biotech) 
Food and drink
•Support the partners to develop strategies in order to successfully target business opportunities in Ningbo and the wider Zhejiang Province.
•Identify specific business opportunities and advise partners.
•Build relationships with targeted Ningbo businesses to facilitate economic cooperation.
•Maintain a database of business contacts.
•Support visits by key Chinese decision-makers when appropriate.
•To identify formal or informal barriers to market access for key sectors, so that action to overcome them can more readily be taken by the relevant authorities.
•To facilitate business development by providing support for business visits ¨C through making introductions, arranging programmes, providing briefing material and making available space for meetings.
•Help UNNC to identify internship / career placement opportunities for its graduates.
•Promote Nottingham generally to the Ningbo business community e.g. by supporting events such as involvement on trade fairs.
•Support business matching where appropriate.
•Support Nottingham¡¯s involvement in technology transfer networks in China.
•Help to promote Chinese investment in Nottingham.
•Manage office and supervise another member of staff based in Ningbo.

Requirement
1.The following is a list of essential experience, skills and personal attributes:
2.Experience of working in an international business environment.
3.Excellent knowledge of businesses in the Zhejiang province (in particular the Ningbo area).
4.Proactive approach to work.
5.Networking and interpersonal skills.
6.Time management and organisational skills.
7.Business acumen and experience.
8.Creativity / diplomacy and tact.
9.Bi-lingual (Mandarin/English).
10.Written English.

Desirable
The following are some additional, desirable requirements:
•Knowledge of key sectors and associated companies in Ningbo.
•Full driving licence.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_eo110nb#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

The specific tasks that the post holder will have to undertake as part of the Business Development Executive role will include:

•Develop market knowledge of Ningbo business, and especially in sectors where the UNNC, Nottingham and the East Midlands have a clear strength, including:
Environmental technology 
Construction / Property
Transport 
Banking and Finance
Healthcare (Biotech) 
Food and drink
•Support the partners to develop strategies in order to successfully target business opportunities in Ningbo and the wider Zhejiang Province.
•Identify specific business opportunities and advise partners.
•Build relationships with targeted Ningbo businesses to facilitate economic cooperation.
•Maintain a database of business contacts.
•Support visits by key Chinese decision-makers when appropriate.
•To identify formal or informal barriers to market access for key sectors, so that action to overcome them can more readily be taken by the relevant authorities.
•To facilitate business development by providing support for business visits ¨C through making introductions, arranging programmes, providing briefing material and making available space for meetings.
•Help UNNC to identify internship / career placement opportunities for its graduates.
•Promote Nottingham generally to the Ningbo business community e.g. by supporting events such as involvement on trade fairs.
•Support business matching where appropriate.
•Support Nottingham¡¯s involvement in technology transfer networks in China.
•Help to promote Chinese investment in Nottingham.
•Manage office and supervise another member of staff based in Ningbo.

Requirement
1.The following is a list of essential experience, skills and personal attributes:
2.Experience of working in an international business environment.
3.Excellent knowledge of businesses in the Zhejiang province (in particular the Ningbo area).
4.Proactive approach to work.
5.Networking and interpersonal skills.
6.Time management and organisational skills.
7.Business acumen and experience.
8.Creativity / diplomacy and tact.
9.Bi-lingual (Mandarin/English).
10.Written English.

Desirable
The following are some additional, desirable requirements:
•Knowledge of key sectors and associated companies in Ningbo.
•Full driving licence.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_eo110nb#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

By 2011 Chinese cities will unseat those in India and the Philippines as favored offshore delivery centers, says market research firm

Chinese cities are expected to unseat Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi in India, and Manila of the Philippines, as favored offshore delivery centers by 2011, according to IDC.

The market researcher has introduced a new Global Delivery Index (GDI), which compares 35 cities in the Asia-Pacific as potential offshore delivery centers, based on criteria such as cost of labor, cost of rent, language skills, government policies, infrastructure, and staff turnover rates.

Bangalore currently tops the list, followed by Manila, Delhi, and Mumbai. The Chinese cities that figure in the 2007 list include Dalian, Shanghai, and Beijing, at numbers five, six, and seven.

Indian cities have inherent challenges such as cost of staff and pressure on infrastructure, said Conrad Chang, a research manager at IDC’s Asia Pacific operations, in a telephone interview on Thursday. While India has focused on the U.S. and European markets, China has large opportunities in the Japanese and Korean markets, Chang added.

Chinese cities will overtake Indian cities by 2011 because of massive investments made in infrastructure, English language, Internet connections, and technical skills, which are favorable towards offshoring, IDC said Tuesday.

Forrester Research, however, takes a less optimistic view about China as an offshore destination.

Nearly two years ago, the country was widely viewed as a key challenger to India as an offshore services delivery location, however Forrester’s research shows that the market has not taken off as expected, the research firm said in a recent report.

China primarily attracts business from Korean and Japanese companies, but most of them have preferred to set up their own operations in China rather than outsource, because there are not many large service providers in China, said Siddharth Pai, a partner at outsourcing consultancy firm Technology Partners International (TPI) in Houston, on Thursday.

Many U.S. and European companies, that set up offshore services operations in India, may also have an operation in China, Pai said. “ But the Indian operation will typically be the larger,” he added.

China has still not overcome customers’ concerns about English language skills, intellectual property (IP) protection, and attrition in the country, Forrester said.

In contrast, India has a sophisticated and time-tested legal environment built around Western common law, Pai said. Even if China invests heavily in education, the population cannot get in four to five years as fluent in English as Indians, he said. “ Indians have been speaking English for over a hundred years,” he added.

India’s demographics also favor its continuation as a key offshore services location. On account of China’s one-child-per-family policy, the country’s population is aging. The country has about half as many people under 30 than India, Pai said. The IT industry primarily employs younger staff, he added.

The IDC GDI rates the potential of cities as offshore destinations, said Chang. The actual business decision by companies to offshore to these cities will depend on a host of other factors, he added. The GDI is a moving index, reviewed every six months.

“This is not about India versus China,” Chang said. IDC expects both countries’ offshore business to grow, he added.

July 4 (Bloomberg) -- Profit growth at Citigroup Inc., ABN Amro Holding NV and other foreign banks in China tripled this year after they were allowed to offer local-currency services, a central bank report said.

Overseas banks earned a combined 3.05 billion yuan ($401 million) in the first five months, up 43 percent from a year earlier, the People's Bank of China said in a research report published by China Securities Journal. Profit growth accelerated from an average 14 percent over the past five years.

China fully opened its banking industry in December, sparking a rush among foreign banks to add outlets and workers to compete for the nation's $2.2 trillion of household deposits. They're still dwarfed by the likes of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., which earned 18.7 billion yuan in the first quarter.

``A rising tide lifts all the boats,'' said Zhang Xi, a banking analyst at Beijing-based Galaxy Securities Co. ``Foreign banks will never achieve the economies of scale to pose a serious challenge to domestic rivals given their current speed of expansion in China.''

As of May 31, 75 foreign banks operated 186 outlets in 25 Chinese cities, according to the report. They had 514.3 billion yuan of outstanding loans and 305 billion yuan of deposits. Their non-performing asset ratio stood at 0.6 percent at the end of May.

Beijing-based ICBC, China's largest bank and the world's No. 2 by market value, operates about 18,000 branches in China and has more customers -- 153 million -- than Russia has people.

Better Than Ever

Overseas banks may have overtaken domestic rivals in profit growth in an economy forecast by the central bank to expand 10.8 percent this year. Earnings growth at China's publicly traded banks averaged 29 percent in 2006, according to UBS AG.

The economic growth forecast, published by the central bank on June 29, represents the fastest pace since 1995, when the economy was less than a third of its current size. Overseas banks' combined profit from local-currency services more than doubled to 1.3 billion yuan through May, today's report said.

``Business has never been so good,'' Jeroen Drost, ABN Amro's Asia chief executive, said in an interview yesterday. ``The key challenge here is to keep up with the growth.''

Foreign banks expect to double their total workforce in China to almost 36,000 by 2010, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP published in May. HSBC Holdings Plc, Citigroup, Standard Chartered Plc, Bank of East Asia Ltd. and eight others have become locally incorporated to offer yuan- denominated bank cards and mass-market services this year.

Capital Controls

China's restrictions on capital outflows -- individuals can't freely invest in overseas stocks, for example -- means banks such as Citigroup and HSBC can't fully capitalize on their international reach, said Zhang.

``High-end customers want access to global asset allocation to diversify risks, but that can't be achieved under the current capital control in China,'' she said. ``That's blunted foreign banks' edge.''

HSBC, Europe's biggest bank by market value, plans to add 30 outlets in China this year and hire 1,000 people a year in 2007 and 2008. It has 35 branches on the mainland, the most of any foreign bank. The bulk of HSBC's 2006 income in China came from corporate and commercial banking with Chinese and foreign clients.

London-based Standard Chartered aims to double its number of China outlets to 40 by the end of this year and Citigroup plans to add 14 outlets to take the total to 30.

Countermeasures

Foreign lenders controlled 2.1 percent of China's $6 trillion of banking assets and less than 1 percent of total deposits, the central bank report said. Their combined profit accounted for 1.2 percent of the total earned by banks in China.

Citigroup, HSBC, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd., Mizuho Financial Group and Hong Kong's Bank of East Asia Ltd. are the five biggest foreign banks operating in China.

China is letting state-owned banks expand into broking, fund management and insurance, winding back former premier Zhu Rongji's 1993 restrictions, to help them counter overseas competition. The government wants fee-based services to account for 50 percent of revenue at domestic banks over the next five to 10 years, up from the current 17 percent.

Beijing, China, July 06, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Miss Valentina Salmoiraghi, an associate of the Italian law firm Carone & Partners will be working in Lehman, Lee & Xu’s Beijing Office, managing the firms' Italian Desk in China.

Starting on June 15th, she will be in charge of supporting the team of Italian and Chinese attorneys put together by Carone & Partners and Lehman, Lee & Xu to represent Italian Clients in China.

Italian companies can now rely on an Italian-speaking lawyer in China which will improve communication among the attorneys involved on the relevant projects. The decision to start the Italian Desk at Lehman, Lee and Xu has been taken in order to fulfill and satisfy the increasing number and complexity of requests of engagement that the allied firms are facing. Moreover, through the Italian Desk the firms will be in the best position to provide outstanding legal assistance to Chinese clients wishing to invest in Italy.

To learn more about the firms, please visit Carone & Partners at www.cplex.it and Lehman, Lee & Xu at www.lehmanlaw.com.

Carone & Partners is an innovative and dynamic Italian firm which combines the expertise of Italian and Chinese lawyers to assist clients in international transactions related to China and Italy/EU. The firm has offices in Milan and Rome.

Lehman, Lee & Xu is a prominent Chinese corporate law firm and trademark and patent agency. The firm has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, and Mongolia and is managed by Mr. Edward Lehman, who has two decades of legal experience in China.

BY SARAH A. WEBSTER

Thanks to a refreshed 2007 Ford Focus, Ford Motor Co.’s retail sales in China jumped to 93,206 cars and trucks in the first half of the year, a 25% increase compared to the same period in 2006, the company reported today.

Ford sells imported and domestically produced Ford, Lincoln, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover models in the fast-growing Asian country.

But Ford’s hottest vehicle in China is the Ford Focus, which has been built in Chongqing since the third quarter of 2005 and posted a six-month sales volume of 55,676.

The third-generation Ford Mondeo will be launched later this year as a major player of domestic premium CD-car segment

Ford’s history in China can be traced to 1913, when its first Model T was imported and sold in Shanghai.

Ford now owns 30% of the shares of Jiangling Motors Corporation Ltd., which produces commercial vehicles and other products.

The Dearborn-based automaker also has a 50-50 passenger car joint venture with Changan Automotive Corporation Ltd., which is called Changan Ford Automobile Corporation Ltd. Changan Ford has launched two Ford passenger cars models, the Fiesta and Mondeo. In early 2005, Changan Ford's second passenger car plant in Nanjing started construction.

In April 2005, Ford, Changan and Mazda also announced a new three-way engine plant joint venture, Changan Ford Mazda Engine Company Ltd., and the new plant has been in production since April 2007.

In March 2006, the Chinese government approved Mazda's investment in Changan Ford. The restructured company has been renamed as Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. (CFMA). Changan, Ford and Mazda hold 50 per cent, 35 per cent and 15 per cent shares in CFMA, respectively.

In the first half of the year, CFMA posted sales of 93,587, a 57% increase over the same period of 2006. CFMA, which has been in operation for less than four years, is now ranked as the 7th largest automaker in China, according to the China Passenger Car Association.

Company introduction: Our client is a British education service company provides courses and support for students from all over the world who wish to study for an overseas degree. They guarantee to place successful students on an appropriate university course in the UK, Ireland or Australia.
After students have passed their course, they work with the student to provide advice and support in settling in to their chosen university, and are available if the student has any problems during their degree course.

Job Description:
Report To: CEO China and CFO Asia
Location: Shanghai
1.Provide strategic support as a business partner to the CEO
2.Provide value-added advice to senior management and be a key member of the decision making process
3.Lead a sizable team and manage the full finance and accounting activities for all China related operations
4.Ensure integrity and maintain governance
5.Coordinate and gather financials to produce timely consolidated accounts and management reports
6.Completion of periodic reporting packages to head office
7.Monitor month end closing processes, to ensure accurate financial reconciliation
8.Analyze financial operating results and write commentaries
9.Coordinate and gather management information for preparation of budget and rolling forecast, follow up with budgetary control implementation
10.Ensure all internal controls are in place and the policies are compliant with local regulations, taxes, audit and statutory reporting requirements
11.Operational system review and enhancement
12.Liaise and coordinate with third parties, including bank, all government departments, commercial bureau and external auditor
13.Evaluate potential investment opportunities, assist in M & A projects
14.Implement financial operations strategy to drive efficiency, achieve maximum performance and profitability for the operations

Job Requirements:
1.A qualified accountant with recognized professional accounting qualifications
2.Familiar with PRC GAAP, US GAAP, IFRS reporting.
3.Strong awareness and understanding of regulatory and requirements
4.8 years in depth finance experience with MNC, of which 2 years at supervisory / managerial level plus service industry experience is highly preferred
5.High proficiency in system computing and knowledgeable in monitoring complex sales and financial information
6.Fluent in Mandarin and English and good communication skills
7.Strong sense of responsibility, details oriented, good team player and able to meet tight schedule and work under pressure
8.Strong data analysis and problem solving skills coupled with business acumen and commercial senses

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_fi155sh#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

The architecture design opportunities in China seem endless. The increased building in preparation for the Beijing Olympics has called on international designers to support China¡¯s efforts to put an international and yet Chinese face to the world for the 2008 Games. In Shanghai, the skyline changes almost daily with dramatic building exteriors complimenting the city¡¯s efforts to have ever taller buildings. This same dramatic architectural opportunity has also reached second-tier cities such as Hangzhou and Ningbo. It is no wonder that foreign firms have sought ways to participate in this exciting market. However, since the advent of Decree 114, many design firms have struggled with finding the best mode of market entry.

Essentially foreign design firms can either: (1) collaborate with a Chinese architecture institute; or (2) set up an architecture enterprise in China ("Architecture FIE") in the form of an equity joint venture, a co-operative joint venture, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise, or part equity acquisition of an existing Chinese architecture institute. The last option creates an FIE that looks like an equity joint venture, but has the benefit of immediate access to the Chinese firm¡¯s licenses, customers, and employees. Recent news shows that AECOM Technology Corp. has followed this last route in acquiring an interest in the China Northwest Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute. The deal will be closely watched by other investors.

Each of the above options is not without its drawbacks. Collaboration with a local Chinese architecture institute limits the activities of the foreign firm to conceptual design, while the establishment of an Architecture FIE may be problematic, and require numerous regulatory approvals and a high threshold to qualify for certain design activities. An increasing number of architecture firms have begun to adopt an alternative business form by establishing wholly foreign-owned consulting enterprises in China ("Consulting WFOE") in order to provide design consulting for construction projects in China.

This article provides an overview of some of the key issues that foreign firms must consider when planning to carry out design activities in China. We review the following strategies:

Long-term: Establish an Architecture FIE or acquire a portion of the equity of an existing Chinese architecture institute;

Short-term: Collaborate with Chinese architecture institutes; and

Near-term alternative: Establish a Consulting WFOE.
Establish an Architecture FIE or Acquire Equity in an Existing Chinese Architecture Institute

The Chinese government has enacted the following regulations regarding Architecture FIEs:

Regulation on Management of Foreign-invested Construction Engineering Design Enterprise ("Decree 114") issued by PRC Ministry of Construction ("MOC") and PRC Foreign Related Trade and Economic Commission ("MOFCOM") on September 27, 2002, effective December 2002.
Implementing Rule of the Regulation on Management of Foreign-invested Construction Engineering Design Enterprise ("Decree 18") issued by MOC and MOFCOM on January 5, 2007, effective since that date.

Administrative Regulation on Construction Engineering Design Enterprise Qualification ("Decree 93") issued by MOC on June 29, 2001, effective since that date.

Project Design Qualification Standard issued by MOC on March 29, 2007.
According to these regulations, the establishment of an Architecture FIE to undertake design activities will be subject to strict and complicated approvals. The process and time-line for these approvals are outlined below:

Procedure
Relevant Authority
Anticipated Duration
Document Obtained

Approval from the Commission of Foreign Trade and Economic ("COFTEC")

COFTEC will ask for the pre-approval opinion of the provincial level MOC before it approves the establishment of the Architecture FIE.
COFTEC is the provincial level counterpart of MOFCOM
20 working days in COFTEC and 20 working days in the provincial level MOC, according to the PRC Administrative Licensing Law.

However, in practice, no application has been approved within that time period. The anticipated time would likely exceed 40 working days.
Approval certificate

Registration with the Local Administration for Industry and Commerce ("AIC")
AIC
5-10 working days
Business license

Acquiring Qualification Certificate from Provincial Level MOC
Provincial level MOC
20 working days according to the PRC Administrative Licensing Law.

Currently, no cases have been approved within that time period. The processing time will likely take longer than 20 working days.
Construction Engineering Design Enterprise Qualification

Other registrations
Public Security Bureau, local Tax Bureau, etc.
Generally obtained within one month of obtaining the business license.
Various registration certificates

The basic requirements for setting up an Architecture FIE and acquiring the relevant qualification certificates to undertake design activities are:

Experience requirements for the investors: Both the foreign investor and the Chinese investor (in the case of an equity joint venture or cooperative joint venture) must engage in construction engineering design in their respective home countries, and provide two or more engineering design achievements that were completed outside of China, with at least one of them having been accomplished in their home country.

Employee requirements for Architecture FIE: The number of the foreign technical employees of the wholly foreign-owned Architecture FIE who have obtained the qualifications of Chinese certified architect and certified engineers shall not be less than 1/4 of the total number of certified practitioners as provided in the Project Design Qualification Standard. In addition, the number of the foreign technical employees who have relevant professional design experience shall not be less than 1/4 of the total technicians as provided in the Project Design Qualification Standard.

Qualification requirement of the Architecture FIEs: The Architecture FIE is prohibited from undertaking design activities in China prior to obtaining the qualification certificate from the provincial level MOC. Its design activities should comply with, and should not extend beyond, the scope of its qualification certificate.
Currently, the design qualifications in China are divided into the following three categories, according to the Project Design Qualification Standard:

Comprehensive Engineering Design ("CED"): An Architecture FIE with this qualification may undertake design activities for all industries and projects in China.

Industry Engineering Design ("IED"): This qualification applies to 21 industries, including, but not limited to, the petrochemical industry, construction industry, and road transportation industry, etc. The Architecture FIE should apply for the qualification certificate for its particular industry.

Special Engineering Design ("SED"): This qualification is for special projects, such as curtain wall. The Architecture FIE should obtain the precise qualification for the project prior to beginning work.
The IED and SED design qualifications are further subdivided into Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C categories based upon the scale and complexity of the project. It is important to note that under Decree 93 an Architecture FIE can only apply for a Grade B or Grade C IED or SED qualification during its first two years of operation.

Minimum registered capital requirement for Architecture FIEs: Depending on the type of design activity, a minimum level of registered capital is required to undertake the project. For example, a CED qualification requires a registered capital investment of RMB 60 million, and a Grade B IED qualification requires a registered capital investment of RMB 2 million.
Establishing an Architecture FIE can be cumbersome due to the stringent capital requirements, employee hiring, and the complex and time-consuming qualification process. Foreign architecture firms can merge or acquire an existing local Chinese architecture firm and convert it to an Architecture FIE. As noted above, AECOM just acquired part of the equity of China Northwest Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute, a large scale architecture institute in China, thus converting the latter into a FIE.

Collaborate With Chinese Architecture Institutes

The Provisional Regulations on the Administration of Foreign Enterprises Engaging in Construction Engineering Design Related Activities ("Decree 78") was issued by MOC on May 10, 2004, effective on June 10, 2004. Decree 78 allows foreign architecture firms to undertake offshore conceptual or schematic engineering design work. This includes enacting construction engineering preliminary design (basic design), and shop drawing design (detailed design) in recent projects under collaboration with locally qualified Chinese engineering design institutes ("Chinese Collaborator").

Under this strategy, the foreign architecture firm is not required to establish a separate entity in China, or to acquire the qualifications in China for its conceptual design work for construction projects in China. However, the local Chinese Collaborator must possess a qualification certificate issued by the relevant Chinese construction authorities that will allow it to carry out the requisite design activities for the project.

Currently, there is no regulation that clearly distinguishes between conceptual engineering design and design work that goes beyond the conceptual design stage. Foreign architecture firms should use the language of Decree 78 in describing their activities under a contract to facilitate the collection of fees.

As an architecture firm¡¯s activities would be limited to "conceptual design," we recommend that foreign architecture firms consider such collaboration only as a short-term strategy for doing business in China.

Consulting WFOE

The current trend is for many foreign architecture firms to create wholly foreign-owned consulting enterprises ("Consulting WFOE") that provide consulting services on design and project management activities in China under the PRC Law on Foreign-Funded Enterprise ("PRC WFOE Law").

The Catalogue for Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries does not prohibit a Consulting WFOE from providing consulting services relating to construction design and project management in China. Under this strategy, no qualification certificate or collaboration is needed to engage in "consulting activities relating to the design and project management work." Note, however, that the enterprise is precluded from engaging in direct design or project management work.

The line between what is and is not permissible in design- and project management-related consulting activities may become ambiguous in practice. However, one thing is clear: only an entity with the appropriate qualification certificate may enter into a design or project management agreement. The Consulting WFOE can review third-party drawings and provide conceptual drawings. Also, the Consulting WFOE could enter into contracts under its own name, but such contracts could not explicitly cover design or project management. The Consulting WFOE will be able to hire employees directly. However, the foreign architecture firm will still be limited in its ability to directly bid and obtain design work on projects in China.

Summary

The market entry strategy depends on the company¡¯s short- and long-term views on its potential to grow in the Chinese construction market. These approaches are not exclusive of one another, and the company may wish to consider implementing, in tandem, a short- and a long-term business plan. Even with the proper vehicle for entry, competition with Chinese firms is steep. Remember that once a company gets over these initial regulatory hurdles, the company will still encounter the realities of a competitive market. U.S. companies, bound by Sarbanes-Oxley and the FCPA, may feel that the field is still not entirely level. Similarly, foreign firms will still bear higher overhead costs because of expatriate management within and outside of China. Getting the permits, approvals, and the projects takes a lot more time and effort than architecture firms are accustomed to expending in the U.S. market. As a company moves forward in the China market, the biggest task may be managing expectations.

A Top semiconductor Company
Location: Suzhou
Report to Plant MD and dotted line to Corporate Quality, EHS and Security.

Job Purpose
1.Direct & manage plant quality, EHS & Security system, interact with external customer and internal business partner
2.Ensure operations of company¡¯s China in compliance with applicable China regulations related to EHS.
3.Ensure company¡¯s global Quality, EHS & Security policies, specifications properly introduced to company¡¯s China operations
4.Ensure overall plant security including but not limited to company¡¯s owned utility facilities/equipment/product/on-site contractors.

Responsibility
1.Make strategic & executive contribution; participate as a key member of the management team in influencing the vision & strategic directions of the company.
2.Responsible for plant compliance system, internal & external audits and drive the compliance initiative to meet plant¡¯s goals.
3.Manage the budget and cost of the department to ensure that the company is cost-effective in all its operations.
4.Develop strategy and provide directions for the department to be forward looking to the changing environment in the industry.
5.Provide leadership and mentoring to the next level of managers to ensure proper succession planning.
6.Responsible for formulate plans to achieve goals and company objectives.
7.Attract, develop & retain the right people or skill set & knowledge.
8.Act as a professional EHS consultant of company¡¯s China;
9.Act as an active role and contact in company¡¯s global quality, EHS & security organization;
10.Conduct any other job beyond above mentioned assigned by superior.

Qualification
1. 4-years bachelor or above degree, majored in industrial security or engineering;
2. 10 years above traceable working experience for recognizable multi-national manufacturing company;
3. 5 years above traceable working experience as Quality / EHS & Security manager for recognizable multi-national company
4. 8 years traceable working experience as managerial level.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_mn166sz#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
1. Manage a manufacturing operation section which activities include production and FGS/Store.
2. Effectively manage human resources to ensure high level of productivity.
3. Responsible for quality level of the manufacturing process.
4. Improve equipment utilization through effective maintenance management.
5. Manage TPM small group activity & lean manufacturing.
6. Manage the budget and cost of the department to ensure that the company is cost-effective in all its operations.
7. Formulate plans & lead a team to achieve MFG goals & objectives
8. Lead & guide staff to achieve operation/engineering/technical solutions as well as maintain competitiveness
9. Other duties as assigned by top management

JOB PURPOSE
Managing the overall responsible for manufacturing operations assigned to achieve all volume commitment, on time delivery of quality products at competitive cost, also managing the overall activities & execute tactical plans for equipment & process engineering

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
1. Good knowledge of the manufacturing operations/lean manufacturing concept.
2. Project management skills.
3. Able to lead across department and motivate teammates

QUALIFICATIONS
1. Degree with preferred ¡·10 years managerial experience or equivalent or Diploma with preferred ¡·13 years relevant experience or equivalent.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
'topjob_eo109sz#dacare.com'(Please replace "#" with "@")

By Jude Blanchette | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

Shanghai, CHINA - The comprehensive labor law that China's top legislative body passed Friday includes provisions that have appeared in previous legislation. But what may be different this time, some observers say, is the government's willingness to enforce mandates protecting workers' rights.

Scheduled to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2008, the law stipulates that employment contracts must be put in writing within one month of employment. It also says that employers must fully inform the worker of the nature of the job and of their working conditions and compensation. Furthermore, it limits the ability of employers to use temporary laborers.

But the law's impact lies in how the government interprets and enforces it. "As is always the case with China's laws, the real question will be in whether the new laws are enforced, how they are enforced, and against whom they are enforced," says Dan Harris, an expert at the law firm Harris & Moure.

But, he adds, "there is a feeling the new labor law is more likely to be enforced than the old and, in particular, will be enforced against foreign companies."

Indeed, organizations representing firms doing business in China have objected to certain provisions they say are unclear. In comments last year, the US-China Business Council warned, "The Draft Law may … reduce employment opportunities for PRC workers and negatively impact PRC's competitiveness and appeal as a destination for foreign investment."

On Friday, Xin Chunying, the deputy chairwoman of the National People's Congress Law Committee, tried to allay the fears of foreign companies. "If there were some bias," she said, "it would be in favor of foreign investors because local governments have great tolerance for them in order to attract and retain investment."

The law gives oversight power to labor unions for collective agreements and the implementation of new employment regulations, but because independent labor unions are illegal in China, this duty will fall to the government-sponsored All China Federation of Trade Unions, an organization with deep ties to the Communist Party and local government officials.

Since the first draft of the law was made public in 2005, it has gone through three drafts and elicited more than 190,000 comments from the public.

In a statement issued Sunday, the European Chamber of Commerce welcomed the law's passage, in part because it moved the labor market in the direction that many European countries have gone. According to a statement posted on their website, "After the comprehensive drafting process, the European Chamber is not concerned about the effect of the law on European investment in China."

Since its emergence as an economic powerhouse more than 20 years ago, China has been dogged by criticisms of poor working conditions, the use of child labor, and willingness to placate multinational corporations.

Friday's law comes as the government tries to deal with these complaints and dampen social unrest in rural areas. Indeed, the government is in the midst of a campaign to reduce the impact of the recent discovery of slavery-like conditions in Shanxi Province's brick factories.

Early last month, more than 400 parents from Henan Province whose children had been abducted posted an open letter on the Internet. Their children, it came out, had been sold to work in brick factories in Shanxi Province.

It has since been revealed that thousands of others have met similar fates at brick kilns, many of which are unlicensed After Chinese journalists picked up the story, it rapidly spread around the world, causing outrage and shame in China.

Last week the draft law was amended to punish officials who ignore labor abuses with prison time or other penalties. Ms. Xin said that "The labor contract law makes detailed provision concerning this issue following the exposure of the forced labor scandals."

NEW YORK-- LAWFUEL - The Law Firm Newswire --Davis Polk & Wardwell today announced that Bjorn Bjerke, Mary Conway, Michael Davis, Avi Gesser, Harald Halbhuber, Kimberley D. Harris, Kirtee Kapoor, Jinsoo H. Kim, James C. Lin, Arthur S. Long, Mark M. Mendez, Edmund Polubinski III, Lanny A. Schwartz, Sarah K. Solum and Mischa Travers have been elected partners of the firm effective July 1, 2007. Davis Polk now has 160 partners in its offices in New York, Menlo Park, Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo.

Mr. Bjerke is a corporate lawyer focusing on complex structured products and derivatives including asset-backed debt instruments, fund linked instruments and credit based arrangements. His recent transactions include representing a large real-estate fund complex in a multi-billion dollar lending arrangement; representing large financial institutions in developing various fund-linked structures and derivative trading platforms and establishing synthetic CDO structures. He also represented ISDA as drafting counsel in connection with the 2006 ISDA Fund Derivatives Definitions and Delta Air Lines in connection with certain financing arrangements linked to Delta Sky Miles.

Ms. Conway is a tax lawyer concentrating in investment management matters, including the formation and operation of private equity funds, hedge funds, mutual funds and other pooled investment vehicles. She has provided advice to Chilton Investment Company, Credit Suisse, Crestview Partners, FrontPoint Partners, HRJ Capital, Integrated Finance Limited, J.P. Morgan, Magnetar Capital and Morgan Stanley, among others. Her practice includes partnership matters and international tax matters.

Mr. Davis is a corporate lawyer concentrating in mergers and acquisitions. The matters he has worked on recently include advising IPSCO in connection with its proposed sale to SSAB Sventskt Stål; Marsh & McLennan in connection with the proposed sale of Putnam Investments to Great-West Lifeco; IPSCO on its acquisition of NS Group; FrontPoint Partners on its sale to Morgan Stanley; MCI on its sale to Verizon; Ford on its acquisition of plants from, and the restructuring of its business relationship with, Visteon; and various other private equity and venture capital transactions.

Mr. Gesser is a litigator concentrating in securities class actions and enforcement, white-collar criminal defense matters and complex commercial cases. Currently, he is representing a major investment bank in class actions involving analyst independence issues. He also recently served as a lead negotiator of a multi-year comprehensive agreement between a large consumer products company and multiple governmental bodies related to international trade issues. He has represented corporations and individuals in various investigations that have been resolved favorably prior to trial. He was also part of the litigation team representing Delta Air Lines in its Chapter 11 restructuring.

Mr. Halbhuber is a corporate lawyer in the London office. His practice focuses on a broad range of corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions transactions. In corporate finance, he has advised both issuers and underwriters on debt and equity transactions. Most recently, he worked on several high-yield debt issuances by European issuers. He has also worked on several initial public offerings and rights offerings. His recent M&A transactions include advising Morgan Stanley on acquisitions in Russia, Italy and the U.K., and Carl Zeiss SMT in the structuring of a joint venture with Cymer and the acquisition of a U.S. nanotechnology company.

Ms. Harris is a litigator with extensive experience representing corporate clients in a variety of criminal, regulatory, and complex civil matters. Recent representations include: the Audit Committee of an auto parts manufacturer in connection with an internal investigation, as well as related criminal and regulatory investigations by the federal government; a major investment bank in connection with criminal and regulatory investigations of the bank’s IPO allocation practices; a former director of the New York Stock Exchange in connection with an investigation by the New York Attorney General and the SEC; and a major pharmaceutical company in connection with multiple complex civil class actions in both state and federal court.

Mr. Kapoor is a corporate lawyer who has had extensive experience in corporate finance, restructurings, workouts and mergers and acquisitions transactions. His experience also includes several transactions in India. His recent matters include advising The Gillette Company in connection with its $57 billion acquisition by The Procter & Gamble Company; Oracle Corporation on its $600 million acquisition of a majority stake in i-flex solutions; Oracle Corporation on its $5.85 billion acquisition of Siebel Systems and Delta Air Lines on its Chapter 11 restructuring generally and in connection with the over $10 billion unsolicited bid from US Airways.

Ms. Kim is a corporate lawyer concentrating in lending and other corporate finance transactions. She represents corporate clients and financial institutions in secured acquisition and other leveraged financings, unsecured financings, debt restructurings and exit financings. Recent representations include Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold in a $11 billion senior secured financing in connection with its acquisition of Phelps Dodge, J.P. Morgan in a $4.5 billion debtor-in-possession facility for Delphi, Delta Air Lines in a $2.5 billion senior secured exit financing, and Goldman Sachs Credit Partners and Credit Suisse in a leveraged acquisition financing for Education Management.

Mr. Lin is a corporate lawyer in the Hong Kong office, advising on public and private corporate finance transactions, including initial public offerings, high-yield debt offerings and private equity investments. He advised China Merchants Bank on its $2.66 billion HKSE listing, Air China on its $1.24 billion HKSE/LSE listing; and the underwriters in the privatization and NYSE/HKSE listing of Aluminum Corporation of China. Mr. Lin has also worked on several NASDAQ IPOs, including the $124 million listing of Baidu.com and the $468 million listing of Himax Technologies. He regularly advises a number of Asian high-technology companies on U.S. law matters.

Mr. Long is a corporate lawyer advising U.S. and foreign banks on the regulatory implications of M&A transactions; private equity investments; the offering of new financial products, including derivatives; enforcement , compliance and bank insolvency issues; and, in the case of foreign banks, establishing U.S. offices. Representative matters he has worked on include Banco Santander’s investment in Sovereign Bancorp; SLM Corporation (Sallie Mae) on its proposed sale; the acquisition by Citizens Financial Group of Charter One Financial; Citigroup’s acquisition of Banamex; Banco Bilbao Vizcaya’s merger with Argentaria; and JPMorgan’s investment in KorAm Bank.

Mr. Mendez is a corporate lawyer focusing on equity derivatives. Recently, he has advised Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs as book-running managers of a $1.5 billion offering by General Motors of convertible senior debentures and a Citigroup affiliate on the related capped call transaction; CVS Corporation in connection with a $2.5 billion collared accelerated share repurchase; Montpelier Re Holdings in connection with two variable share forward sale agreements; Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch in connection with the issuance of debt securities mandatorily exchangeable for shares of Class A common stock of Nuveen Investments; and JPMorgan in connection with the Microsoft Employee Stock Option Transfer Program.

Mr. Polubinski is a litigator representing corporations and individuals in a wide range of securities, professional liability, products liability, general commercial and acquisition-related litigation in federal and state courts. He also represents corporate and individual clients in investigations and other proceedings before various regulatory agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, and the New York Stock Exchange. Recent matters include the defense of an investment banking client in putative class action antitrust litigations; the representation of a corporate issuer and individual clients in class action securities litigation and a related SEC investigation; the defense of a major pharmaceutical company in nationwide consumer protection and product liability litigation; and the representation through trial of a big four accounting firm in litigation arising out of the failure of a large national bank.

Mr. Schwartz is a corporate lawyer advising on securities compliance, regulatory and transactional matters. His clients include major international banks, broker-dealers, securities exchanges, consulting firms, a securities industry trade association and a large life settlement provider. From 1999 to 2005, he was executive vice president and general counsel of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. Previously, he was managing director and counsel at Bankers Trust Company, specializing in bank and broker-dealer regulation and investment banking. He speaks and writes regularly on securities market structure and regulatory issues, and was formerly a member of the adjunct faculty of Columbia University School of Law.

Ms. Solum is a corporate lawyer in the Menlo Park office, advising on capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, SEC disclosure and corporate governance. Recent capital markets transactions include convertible debt offerings for Cadence Systems, Cypress Semiconductor and Equinix; investment grade debt offerings for Comcast, Oracle and Seagate; follow-on offerings for Kaiser Aluminum, Wet Seal and Onyx Pharmaceuticals; initial public offerings for Chipotle Mexican Grill and CAI International; and McDonald’s spin-out of Chipotle Mexican Grill. Mergers and acquisitions she has worked on recently include advising NetIQ on its sale to Attachmate WRQ and Oracle on its acquisitions of Siebel Systems and PeopleSoft.

Mr. Travers is a corporate lawyer in the Menlo Park office, advising technology companies and their underwriters and investors on mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings and other corporate transactions. Recent matters he has worked on include KLA-Tencor’s acquisitions of ADE, Therma-Wave, SensArray and OnWafer; Software AG’s acquisition of webMethods; Affymetrix’s acquisition of ParAllele; Comcast’s strategic partnership with TiVo; a $2.25 billion debt offering by Comcast Corporation; Affymax’s initial public offering; convertible debt offerings by Borland Software, Boston Properties, Informatica, Intel, Macrovision and Xilinx; and various investments in private companies by affiliates of Richemont.

How to find a job in China (FAQ, information & tips)

USEFUL WEB SITE SERVICES FOR CHINA JOB SEEKERS:

To get a quick and easy list of China job postings, although limited, look at the following. Also a good idea to keep these in your pocket so you have one ear on the street all the time:

Check out China Insight's very own China job listing board, or list yourself on our China job seeker board.

Sign up with Asia Net, which posts jobs on its web site and delivers e-mail regularly with job postings. Will send e-mails specifically for jobs in Asia for people with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language skills. Most are techie jobs, but once in a while something interesting comes up.
Wang & Li has all the top spots for Greater China, and competitive market information.
Alliance - mainly jobs for PRC locals, but an on-the-ground, professional recruitment group with exclusively PRC job listings.
Global Villager/ CareerChina has a full array of China oriented information.
Surf for jobs in China.

OUR PERSONAL ADVICE ON THE JOB SEARCH:

In our four years in Beijing, we have seen many friends come to China and find jobs. Many we have helped, and frequently we are asked the same questions by those considering taking the leap in coming to China. Briefly and succinctly, below are our own views on: the various paths people have taken, the types of jobs they have found, and advice if you are looking for a China job. This advice is primarily for college graduates or 20 somethings just getting their feet on their ground. If you have an MBA from a top business school or can command a top job by virtue of your experience, much of the below probably may not pertain to you.

Send us info on changes in the job market so we can update this page

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I find a job?
How much can I expect to earn?
How and where should I start my job search?
How should I prepare before I come?
What are key issues when coming?
What’s important in the job search?
What types of jobs are out there?
What are key elements of a package?
What’s your final advice?
Return to (a little) China Insight main page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DETAILED INFORMATION:

CAN I FIND A JOB? Yes. You will need to be resourceful, a bit lucky (all jobs are like that), and you may have to bite the bullet by sleeping on the floor of many apartments and eating fang bian mian (instant noodles) for several months, but it can be done. The key is being persistent, patient and lucky. More important is that you first set your own goals and parameters: what field do you want to be in, what salary do you expect, how long can you live without a salary, what is your ultimate goal in coming to China, etc.?

HOW MUCH CAN I EARN? If money is most important to you, you had best look first for a China job in the States or from Hong Kong. Any company that sends you overseas will most likely give you a full package plus great benefits. The downside is that these jobs are harder to find, especially if you have limited relevant experience; it also generally means working/training in the States for 1-2 years before heading over, but not necessarily. Even if money is not important to you, before you leave the States you ought to do a heavy job search on that end. If you find a job in China (see details below on compensation levels), they will most likely pay you less, although you can live well and still save money on a decent salary. See details on compensation below.

HOW AND WHERE SHOULD I LOOK FOR A JOB? Many people come and then look for a job. It's probably the true China person who chooses this riskier strategy. We do advise you to first look in the States, though, or in Hong Kong, before packing your bags. Hong Kong can be a prime job market, but unless you have a friend there, it is very expensive to stay and hang out. Who knows also? Maybe you get a good job in Hong Kong and they send you into Mainland China. Don't come here without first trying your luck in the US and/or HK. First try the web sites we recommend above, mailing out lots of resumes and using any network(s) you may have.

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE BEFORE I COME/WHAT SHOULD I BE PREPARED FOR? Be flexible: prepare all sorts of resumes, with different slants. Be prepared to be patient and not find a job for several months. At the very minimum, before coming prepare at least one resume with the "teacher" slant, as this is a sure backup to make money.

Also, if you arrive without a job, be prepared to spend 3 months getting settled, brushing up on your Mandarin, making connections and finally landing a job. Hopefully you won't need that long. Have at least enough money in your pocket to cover your expenses for this period. Figure about 1000 USD a month should cover you no problem, but that's if you are resourceful. The big chunk of that is housing, so if you find a dorm or crash with a friend, you can live on less. Many of us can live on 200 USD a month, outside of housing, in fact. Eat cheaply, not much western food, don't party a lot, take public transport or ride a bike, and live in a dorm, crash on someone's floor, or find a cheap hotel. Be creative. Housing and visas will be your main concern (see below), and oftentimes it's advisable to come first and study or work as a teacher, just to get your feet solidly on the ground and have housing and visa problems resolved right off the bat..

WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN THE JOB SEARCH? Get to know people: network, network and network. Send out resumes; reach as many people as possible. (But don't bombard us with e-mail). Many people who come as students also intern at companies or for the US embassy commercial section, or U.S. companies. The internships in the commercial sections can often lead to good job offers. Unpaid, but you are working for your future right? If you work in a certain sector of the commercial section, you'll be able to somewhat become an expert on it, and you can impress all those US companies in that sector who come through the embassy wanting to know about China. Latching on to a big multinational from the China side, save having incredible working experience or a top degree, is extremely difficult. However, local and many small western companies can offer interesting opportunities. Likwise, another advantage of coming on a study program first, particularly the better ones, is that they will help place you in an internship. This internship sometimes can turn into a job.

If you come to Beijing without a job, it is obviously better if you have some work experience or great Chinese. Best is both. You have an advantage if you can push one of these when job seeking. Take the position of the company you are interviewing with: why would they want to hire you? A Chinese person who is experienced and already knows the environment here earns probably 1/10 to 1/2 of the salary that you might command. Or a company could hire an experienced expat who knows their company and send them to China. Your chances improve if you have relevant US job industry experience or great Chinese. Gone are the days where good Chinese will get you by, or so I have been told. Many companies are also rethinking their China strategies and cutting back, and in the wake of the the rest of Asia's economic woes, the next year or so may be a period of retrenchment. But maybe you are just lucky. Remember, for as many local expats who say it's hard to find a job here, almost 90% of them, when asked how they found their job in China (and most got their foot in the door with little work experience behind them), will say, "Oh, I just got lucky."

WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES TO CONSIDER WHEN I GET OFF THE PLANE? Your immediate problems will be your visa and housing. Come to China on a tourist visa and you will most likely have to leave to change it's status or to extend the visa eventually, which may mean taking an expensive trip to Hong Kong. Because of the visa problem many people come and teach (resolves both visa and housing issues right off the bat) or come as a student (also resolves both issues). This allows you to get your feet on the ground and build up connections and language skills. If you come and then look for English teaching, they will seldom give you a visa. If you take the student/teaching path, you will usually have to be locked in for 6-12 months, but that's alright. Not cool to skip out on a teaching job.

WHAT TYPE OF JOBS/OPTIONS ARE THERE?

Teaching English
Being a student
Interning in the U.S. embassy/a western company.
Translating services
Legal assistant
Journalism
Business
Odd jobs for local Chinese companies
Be creative - think outside the conventional job box
Start something on your own - be an entrepreneur

WHAT SHOULD A PACKAGE INCLUDE? There are several issues here to consider, which I elaborate on below: salary, housing allowance, healthcare, vacation/plane ticket, visa, taxes, other issues.

Your package will depend if you are hired as an expat from abroad or a local hire. Obviously if you are brought in from overseas, you can expect [spam word detected] and a full range of benefits. Salaries range in the industry, but if you are sent here, figure you will get $25-100K, hardship posting pay, standard bonuses, housing allowance of at least $1500-6000 a month, 3-5 weeks paid vacation, and round trip air ticket once a year (and perhaps more for R&R leave time), full US standard healthcare, evacuation insurance through AEA, SOS, or MEDEX, tax coverage, shipping fees covered; and all other reimbursable expenses and training that would accrue to you as an employee. Sometimes language lessons are paid for as well. If you are high enough up or the position requires it, you will get a car and/or driver, a mobile phone, or at least have travel to and from work reimbursed.

If you are hired locally, the story is drastically different, and you should have no illusions about landing the above. Your compensation of course varies on the company, your background, the industry, and your position. Nevertheless, here's what you can expect, as an expatriate local hire:

SALARY: As a journalist or clipper, you might get $500-1500 a month and up; As a translator or legal assistant $15K - 30K; In business typical salaries are between $15-50K, but can be higher if you have experience in the industry or get lucky enough to latch on to a big company. As a teacher, you can earn $5-20 an hour, but work can be patchy. Remember that your salary is only as valuable as the rest of the package: housing allowance, tax coverage, health insurance, etc. can tilt the balance.

HOUSING ALLOWANCE: Housing in Beijing is the biggest ma fan (nuisance) for expats. Living in a _legal_ apartment can run $1200 at the cheapest, and up to $2000 for something reasonably located. Don't expect much for housing allowance, but figure the cheapest "non-legal" apartments will run about $300-600 per month. Lots of local expats live in these apartments. Some expat packages don't include housing; others will give you perhaps $1500 a month at most. Few local hire expat jobs will provide you an apartment - you'll have to find one on your own. If you choose to live in local housing, you can save money, but you will always live with the fear of the gong an ju (PSB) knocking on your door. (Yes, I've been booted from my apartment more than once, but that is another topic - see separate section - seeking local housing). The good news amid all of this is that housing prices are coming down in Beijing; overdevelopment has changed the real estate scene from a seller to buyer's market (though legal housing still ain't cheap), and the government has gotten a little more lax with living in "local" housing.

HEALTHCARE: Ideally you should get a US healthcare package or evacuation service through SOS or AEA, the two biggest providers in Beijing. Figure the US healthcare package to be worth $200 per month in your salary. If you get evacuation insurance (your parents would want you to have this), it will run the company $300 per year, but doesn't mean as much if you don't have health coverage also. (A visit at Beijing United Family Hospital is around $80). In Beijing, aside from Beijing United Family Hospital, you might check out AEA and IMC for western healthcare. Cheaper but OK are the Sino-German Health clinic or the Hong Kong Medical Clinic. Otherwise, if you go to a Chinese hospital, you'll pay less and still get decent treatment at Peking Union or The Sino-Japanese Hospital. There is a difference is the healthcare provision, though; I didn't spend three years setting up Beijing United for no reason at all! For inquires about Beijing United plans, send them an e-mail

VACATION/PLANE TICKET: Standard for an expat who signs on for 1-3 years is 3-4 weeks of paid vacation, and one roundtrip ticket back to the States per year. But sometimes you won't even get this.
VISA: Your company should handle this. If you are lucky, maybe they send you to Hong Kong every 3-6 months to get a new visa. This works out well (go buy some new clothes and get a needed rest from Beijing), and also helps you avoid taxes in China. Visas are a major tou teng (headache) if your company refuses to handle this for you. Insist on your company handling your visa and all related work permits.

TAXES: Big companies will handles your taxes for you (meaning what they quote you as your salary is after tax). Smaller ones probably will deduct taxes from your pay; others will not report it and leave it up to you. If everything is done in accordance to China and U.S. law, however, you can expect the following: Around 8% of your salary should be deducted for Social Security and FICA by your company (if it is a US company). If you earn less than $72,000 year (and if you don't, I'll trade jobs with you), you are totally exempt from US personal income taxes if you spend more than 330 days of the year outside the U.S. Just make sure you file (you get an automatic extension until June 1, by the way) the 1040 form as well as the 2555-EZ form available in the States or at the US embassy. If your company follows Chinese law (not all do), you pay a graded tax (meaning you pay x% on income from 0-3000 RMB/month; y% for the amount from 3000-5000 RMB/month; z% for the amount from 5000-7000 RMB/month, etc. - note figures not accurate). Whatever you earn, figure China taxes are less than your equivalent grade in the States. For example, if you earn 25,000, you might pay on average 20% income tax in the States (correct me if I'm wrong - I've never worked there!); in China, the level is closer to 13%. In short, if you are thoroughly confused: if you work in China, make a real salary, and follow all US and China laws, you pay less taxes than if you worked in the States for the same salary -- but not THAT much lower. If you can find ways to get the company to cover taxes, all the better. If you don't pay China taxes, the burden should be on your company.
Other issues: It's always good to get perks on the job: e-mail, mobile phone, pager, computer, reimbursed rides to and from work. Standard bonuses are a month salary or less, or if you are in sales, commissions. Throw these jobs in to sweeten the deal. Standard raises vary from year to year, but are between 3-15%.

FINAL ADVICE: No matter what job you land and what compensation you get, know there will always be someone who earns more than you. The grass will always be greener on the other side, as they say. Pick a job that you are interested in, and offers you a chance to develop. If you want to know China and speak Chinese, pay attention to the company culture: will you speak Chinese? Who are the expats? What life do they lead? At the same time, remember that you have to negotiate your contract. Look out for yourself, as no one else will; that's why we've written this and put it in public access cyberspace.

[Please keep in mind too this is written based on our experience, which is all in Beijing. We hear Shanghai is a good market, if not better than Beijing, and the terms may all be different. Also I haven't updated this; if China's rapid changes are any indication of change in the job market, maybe all this will be different tomorrow.]

FINALLY, will you be able to find a job? Of course. It may not be easy and it might not be what you like right off the bat, but there are jobs out there. Know what your goals are and also know how long you can stay without real employment (read: income). Worse comes to worse, you work on your Chinese and travel and witness first-hand the greatest economic and social revolution of all time. That's not so bad, now is it? The longer you stay and dedicated you are, the better your chances become of finding something interesting (and interesting jobs there are). Also remember that once you work, and if the job is demanding, you won't have time to bum around and see the craziness of Beijing/China. If you can't find a good job, use the time to study Chinese -- trust me, you'll never regret it.

This page authored by: Michael Wenderoth[/b]

Here are a few links that will save you loads of time finding a job.

http://jobs.amcham-shanghai.org - Quality jobs from many fortune 500 companies. Mostly managerial and Director positions.
www.51job.com - Top Chinese Website: Milions of jobs and viewers, but you gotta get past the advertising first.
www.zhaopin.com - similar to above. 2nd in race.
www.chinahr.com - linked with Monster. Similar to 2 above.
www.thishanghai.com - good variety of jobs, not always best quality.
www.asiaexpat.com - Shanghai page has loads of jobs. Good amount of traffic also keeps jobs fresh.
www.shjob.cn - Shanghai version of 51 job. Recently with multi million Euro injection.
www.chinaonline.cn.com - good site in general, but not loads of postings.

All of the above are useful in finding work, the Chinese websites are more catered to Chinese obviously, even though they do have english version. The local community websites, like Shanghai Expat, are good for general range of jobs and have good response to postings or requests. Chambers of Commerce are good to find quality jobs as their members have a majority of big companies, multinationals and such.
There are plenty of ways to find jobs in Shanghai and China, but websites are certainly a good start!

Employment Visa

(Z-visa)

Requirements:

1. One completely filled out Visa Application Form for the P.R. China (Q-1). Right click to save E-form, Pdf form, or Jpeg form.

2. One recently taken 2X2 in. photo showing entire face and without a hat on. Please affix the photo to the application form.

3. Original passport with at least 2 blank visa pages and valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of application.

4. An invitation letter or telegram from the relevant department of the Chinese Government or Government-authorized company.

5. Original Foreign Experts Working Permit issued by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affaris, or orginal and copy of Alien Employment Lisense issued by the Ministry of Labour amd Social Security, or other relevant permit of employment.

6. The spouse or children of the Z-Visa applicant who are following the applicant to stay in China are required to be listed in the above-mentioned invitation letter or telegram. Otherwise original and copy of Marriage Certificate or Birth Certificate to prove their relationship are also required.

7. An applicant born in China who is applying for a Chinese visa with his or her new foreign passport is required to submit his or her Chinese passport or last foreign passport.

8. A child of Chinese descent and born in a foreign country who applies for a Chinese visa for the first time is required to submit his or her Birth Certificate and foreign passport or foreign permanent resident permit (e.g. Green Card) of one of his or her parents.

Reminders:

1. No visa application can be done through mail, email, internet, or any express delivery service such as UPS, FedEx, etc. Visa application should be submitted and picked up by the applicant or someone else entrusted.

2. Z-visa is generally valid for 3 month. Applicants should apply for a residence permit from a local county level Public Security Bureau within 30 days after entering China.

http://www.nyconsulate.prchina.org/eng/lsqz/VisasforChina/t42204.htm#4

BEIJING: Minimum wages in China will be increased this year to offset the sharp rise in food prices that has particularly hurt low-income families, state media reported on Friday, citing the labour ministry.

Local governments must raise minimum wages before the end of 2007 in regions where salaries have risen slowly or are markedly lower than the average, the Xinhua news agency said, citing the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

"Local governments must adjust minimum wages in a timely manner and ensure that real standards do not fall with the consumer price index going up," the ministry said.

China's inflation rate rose 3.4 per cent in May from a year earlier, above the government's annual target of 3.0 per cent, but food prices have accelerated at a much faster pace.

In a circular cited by Xinhua, the labour ministry said low-income families were particularly feeling the heat after meat and poultry prices jumped by 26.5 per cent in May and the cost of eggs rose 37.1 per cent.

Premier Wen Jiabao also warned in late May that the rising price of pork, the most commonly eaten meat in China, could threaten social stability.

In China, minimum wage standards vary from region to region. At the end of last year, southern China's Shenzhen city had the highest minimum wage in the country at 810 yuan ($105) per month, while eastern Jiangxi province was bottom with a salary of 270 yuan, Xinhua said.

BEIJING, June 28 -- State Grid Corp of China (SGCC), the nation's largest electricity transmission company, yesterday launched a worldwide recruitment plan for its five research and development (R&D) institutes.

Under the plan, the company will recruit 100 top scientists for its R&D work, including four academicians.

The five R&D centers are China Electric Power Research Institute, Nanjing Automation Research Institute, Beijing Electric Power Construction Research Institute of SGCC, Wuhan High Voltage Research Institute of SGCC and State Power Economic Research Institute.

The five institutes now have 2,699 staff members, including four academicians.

"The move will increase the company's R&D capabilities. Last year, we made many breakthroughs in the R&D field," SGCC said in a statement.

The company last year started to build China's first ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission line. The pilot project will see 1,000 kilovolts of alternating current linking the southeastern part of Shanxi Province with Jingmen city in Hubei Province, passing Nanyang city in Central China's Henan Province.

(Source: China Daily)

Hong Kong, June 28: Multinational companies in China have a hard task hiring people with leadership skills while in India they face unreasonably demanding fresh graduates, a survey shows.

The fast pace of business expansion in Asia's two emerging economic powerhouses has created a talent shortage and a host of challenges for employers.

"Staff are impatient and there are a lot of jobs out there," said Shalini Mahtani, chief executive of Hong Kong-based Community Business. "If companies are not providing good career opportunities, staff will leave."

Community Business, an organisation promoting corporate social responsibility, conducted the survey in Shanghai and Mumbai with Schneider-Ross, a UK-based business consultancy.

Pay is still important as staff in China have no qualms in leaving a company to pick up a higher salary elsewhere, according to the survey. In India, employers say younger professionals are demanding excessive compensation packages, inflated job titles and immediate opportunities for overseas assignments.

One multinational talked of a fresh graduate who came for interview saying he had four job offers on the table and how could the company better that. Such demands were not unusual, the company said.

Pay is talked about openly in India and employees are liable to switch jobs if they know that their fellow graduates from business school are earning more. This makes it difficult for companies to reward good performance, survey participants said.

In China, competition for staff is so acute that one company reported losing a junior member of staff to a local company that more than doubled her salary and offered a position for which she did not have any experience.

The survey interviewed 25 senior managers and HR directors at foreign companies in Shanghai and Mumbai and conducted a focus group in each of the two cities.

A lack of leadership skills among staff poses a real challenge in China and many employees there leave a company because of the attitude or behaviour of their boss, survey participants said.

Western multinational companies are no longer routinely seen as the preferred employer, as staff in both countries often see local companies that are expanding globally as a better opportunity to gain visibility and climb the career ladder. Multinationals now are having to approach second and third tier colleges for staff.

Diversity in the workforce, whether by gender, generation or culture, is also difficult to implement because local managers either are not sensitive to the issue or business is growing so fast they have no time to focus on it.

In India stereotyping of women is still common.

"There's an assumption that women will get married and they'll leave the workplace," said Mahtani.

In China, poor leadership skills means companies often have to bring in expatriates.

People with disabilities are largely unrepresented in both markets, according to the survey.

Long working hours are another problem, particularly in India where colleagues in different timezones expect staff to be available at irregular hours, the survey showed.

Foreign companies with disabled Chinese on the payroll will qualify for tax rebates from next year.

The maximum tax rebate per disabled worker will be 35,000 yuan (US$4,550) a year. Meanwhile, salaries of disabled workers will be exempted from employees income tax.

Companies whose work force comprises more than 25 percent of disabled workers will be eligible for rebates on both income and value-added tax, according to the new policy announced by the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation (SAT).

Those with less than 25 percent of disabled employees will only get income tax rebates.

China has issued a series of preferential tax policies since the 1980s to promote the employment of disabled people.

But a SAT official said that current policies had left many private and foreign companies out in the cold, unable to qualify for tax rebates.

The new policy, which will apply nationwide from next month, is aimed at "creating a favorable taxation environment for fair competition and promoting employment for disabled people," the official said.

Statistics show that China has nearly 83 million disabled people, with only 22.7 million in employment and about 8.6 million officially listed in unemployment statistics.

Entertainment complex with bunnies, gambling slated for debut in 2009

HONG KONG–Playboy Enterprises Inc., publisher of the most widely read men's magazine, plans to open a 40,000-square-foot entertainment complex, including gambling facilities and bunny-suited waitresses, in Macau, located on the southeast coast of China.

Playboy Mansion Macao, to be completed in 2009, will include dining, entertainment and retail shops, company chair and chief executive Christie Hefner said in an interview in Hong Kong. It will be part of the Macao Studio City complex, and the gambling operations will be run by casino operator Melco International Development Co., Hefner said in another interview, in Macau.

Billionaire Stanley Ho's gaming monopoly ended in 2002 when the government awarded licences to five other operators in the city, the only place in China where casinos are legal.

By this year's first quarter, 25 casinos were operating in the 26 square-kilometre territory, creating concern the industry may be starting to get crowded.

"I am less bullish about the ability of demand to soak up the capacity that's coming on line for both retail and hotels," said Peter Drolet, a Hong Kong-based analyst at UOB Kay Hian Pte.

Macao Studio City, a $2 billion (U.S.) joint venture between Hong Kong-listed ESun Holdings Ltd. and partners including Silver Point Capital LLC, is next to the Lotus Bridge, which will link Macau and the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai. It will include a film studio, a million-square-foot shopping mall and gaming and convention facilities.

"Macau has vast growing power as a travel destination, with the number of visitors expected to double between 2006 and 2011," said Hefner, daughter of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

"We will look for the most beautiful, personable women from Asia and the United States" to possibly hire as Playboy bunnies, Hefner said.

She said it was "too early" to disclose how much will be invested in Playboy Mansion Macao and how much gaming will contribute to its revenue. Hefner also didn't say how much Playboy will pay Melco to run the project's gaming operations.

Macau's economy grew 16.6 per cent last year, compared with 6.9 per cent in 2005 and 28.4 per cent in 2004, the year the city's first foreign-operated casino began operating.

Macau, with a population of 500,000, is the closest location for the 1.3 billion people in China to gamble legally in casinos.

Gambling revenue in the former Portuguese colony surged 22 per cent to $6.95 billion last year, surpassing the Las Vegas Strip.

Playboy is the world's best selling men's monthly magazine with its U.S. paid circulation of 3 million.

Ten years after the change-over, Hong Kong is positioning itself to become Asia's New York City.

By George Wehrfritz
Newsweek International

July 2-9, 2007 issue - On the rare days when Hong Kong's Victoria Peak isn't shrouded in smog, one of the world's great maritime hubs is on display from its heights.

Northward in Kowloon, modern container ports—their giant cranes lined up like robotic elephants on parade—load waiting freighters. Barges scurry like worker ants, flags from every port of convenience flap in the breeze and jetfoils buzz back and forth from Macau.

For decades, as East Asia's export economies rose to pre-eminence, the scene has grown more frenetic year by year. But sometime soon—or perhaps that day has already passed—the vast natural harbor that first attracted British opium traders to this spot on the South China Sea in the 1840s will reach its own peak, and start to fall.

The big question in Hong Kong—and it's one that has echoed since the jittery pre-handover days back in 1997—is elemental: what's next? Official statistics suggest a port that's maxed out, a maritime hub that has slipped from number one in the world to number three and sometime next year will likely be overtaken by a city that didn't even exist until the final few years of British rule: neighboring Shenzhen. What will happen, many Hong Kongers justifiably worry, when shipping follows the manufacturing up the Pearl River Delta into mainland China? Will their city slip to the global economic periphery, as some analysts forecast, becoming the 21st-century equivalent of Venice?

Ten years after the Union Jack flew over Hong Kong for the last time, change is most certainly afoot. But change, as they say, can be good. And although Hong Kong's traditional status as East Asia's premier shipping hub is already lost, the city is on the cusp of a reinvention so profound that the view from the peak will likely look quite different in a few decades. First there will be fewer freighters and barges. Then, perhaps, the dockyards will yield to new urban landscapes as they've done previously in places like London and New York. And, if all goes to plan, the scene that unfolds below the peak won't depend so much on whether the winds kick up to clear the toxic skies.

Think of Hong Kong as China's New York. Not today's N.Y.C., to be sure, but the Gotham that had hovered on the verge of bankruptcy in the 1970s and then struggled to reinvent itself by deregulating its two stock markets and becoming the world's leading financial center at the dawn of the digital age. Now China is the growth engine, and the transformation underway entails providing the financial savvy, rule-based business culture and global logistical reach that the vast Chinese economy demands but can't create for itself. ''Every economy changes as the major players [in the global arena] change," says Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Henry Tang. ''In the past we have always used China as a manufacturing base, but now we look to it as a market [with] a huge demand for world-class financial services. Hong Kong is where we supply it."

A ''paradigm shift" is underway in the city, Tang says with confidence. And in Hong Kong's case the consulting jargon actually fits, economically as well as politically. Truth be told, Tang and his fellow cabinet bosses are struggling to come to grips with what's happening all around them. Whereas New York confronted urban decay, high crime and tense race relations, Hong Kong's challenges center on today's rich-poor divide, quality-of-life issues such as air pollution and the city's still-unmet yearning for one-person, one-vote democracy.

Indeed, the influence tycoons exert on policymaking is under attack as never before. And the government's management—or, say its critics, mismanagement—of precious waterfronts and green spaces are major concerns among the middle class.

Although opinion polls show that most Hong Kong people support China's national government, Beijing's ham-fisted efforts to manage the city's democracy debate is engendering fear that the motherland could ultimately renege on its pledge to allow Hong Kong ''a high degree of autonomy."

Perhaps most significant, "a dynamic generational shift" is underway, argues former legislator Christine Loh, founder of the influential think tank Civic Exchange. A new and politicized middle class has emerged, one that's well traveled, technologically savvy and committed to more than getting rich. Their issues include the environment, education and protecting Hong Kong's cultural heritage—the common denominator being better official accountability. ''[This generation] presents the tycoons and the government with its next challenge, and it is where [questions over] how our society ought to be run and where our priorities lie will come to a head."

By most accounts Hong Kong is on the mend as it prepares to begin its second decade as a special administrative region of the People's Republic. Back in 1997, euphoria over the gala July 1 handover yielded quickly to an Asia-wide financial crisis that sent stock and property markets tumbling. Then the city sank into political indecisiveness, suffered a deadly SARS outbreak and after a botched 2003 government move to pass a new public-security law, experienced the largest political protests on Chinese soil since the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations in Beijing.

The setbacks cost Hong Kong's first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, Beijing's confidence and eventually his job (he resigned citing ''health issues" in early 2005). And since then, Tung's successor, the bow-tie-clad Donald Tsang, has renewed public confidence, delivered strong economic growth and vowed ''to break barriers and realize Hong Kong's potential in an ever-changing world," as he said recently.

The clearest evidence of Hong Kong's transformation comes not from official rhetoric but in the city's economic data. Since 1997, market capitalization on the main stock exchange has ballooned almost fivefold to just under $2 trillion, about one sixth the size of the New York Stock Exchange today. Over the past three years, Chinese companies have raised about $84 billion with initial public offerings in Hong Kong, and, according to the accounting firm Ernst & Young, the city's main bourse generated 17 percent of the total capital raised worldwide during the first 11 months of 2006, ahead of London (15 percent) and New York (11 percent). The main driver was the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's $22 billion dual listing, which garnered $16 billion in Hong Kong and $6 billion in Shanghai. This flurry of activity broke an old pattern whereby Chinese companies, fearing a lack of liquidity in Hong Kong, preferred listing simultaneously in either London or New York. ''We have always been successful, but these past few years have really put us on the map," says Tang.

Hong Kong's financial sector now accounts for 13 percent of GDP, up from 10 percent in 1997. And as big as it is, today's IPO boom represents only a part of what Hong Kong's money tribe can offer China.

Consider: the IPO market sends capital into the mainland from outside investors (both Hong Kong Chinese and foreigners). But increasingly, China's main challenge isn't raising funds abroad, but disposing of the enormous pools of money it has amassed by running huge trade surpluses.

Now trapped inside the country's closed financial system, this liquidity is too hot for China's banks and stock exchanges to handle. This year's stock bubbles in Shanghai and Shenzhen, for example, feature extreme volatility, rampant insider trading and price inflation driven by too much money chasing too few good companies.

China's embarrassment of riches represents a huge opportunity for Hong Kong. According to the city's top government economist, K. C. Kwok, Beijing has little choice but to channel ever-larger amounts of financial business Hong Kong's way. One example is a scheme enacted late last year that will allow Chinese banks to invest $75 billion in overseas assets, with much of it expected to land in Hong Kong. Another influx is coming from Chinese multinationals, which are gradually being freed from a longstanding requirement that they repatriate foreign earnings back to the motherland. A third source (and by far the largest) is Chinese households, which together have an estimated $2 trillion in savings squirreled away. ''Imagine you are a mainland Chinese sitting on a pile of money in your bank account," says Kwok. ''You look at all these companies going to Hong Kong to list and you think, 'Why can't I invest there, too?' "

Tourism is another growth sector with promise beyond filling hotel rooms or selling tickets to Hong Kong Disneyland. Since Beijing permitted its citizens to visit Hong Kong four years ago, not only have they bolstered a local travel industry slammed hard by the SARS epidemic, they've also revived the prospects of Hong Kong's private hospitals. Some had been struggling until Chinese nationals began showing up for everything from heart surgery to maternity care. ''You can't just walk in and get a [hospital] room because Chinese who are rich enough and do not trust their own hospitals are there," says Jimmy Lai, publisher of the Apple Daily and a harsh critic of Beijing. ''If you believe Hong Kong's rule of law, free-flowing information, professionalism and integrity are part of our comparative advantage, you can assume that the more we integrate with China the more our advantages will be manifested." Even the old port is transforming into a modern service industry. From 1995 to 2005, the percentage of Hong Kong's GDP derived from freight transport and storage stagnated; its contribution to the economy rose just a single point, to 4.8 percent, while container traffic to Shanghai and Shenzhen doubled every few years. But in a shift that remains ''off the radar screen" to many analysts, says Kwok, trade and logistics actually rose as a percentage of the city's GDP, from 18 to 23 percent, during the past decade. The new business comes from services that include managing complex supply chains that link Asian factories to American and European consumers, regional product sourcing and third-country trading that doesn't bring products into Hong Kong at all. ''We're seeing the globalization of production," says Kwok. ''And Hong Kong is the nerve center for a lot of these activities."

This shift is tectonic, and it gets to the heart of issues that now fuel much of the political debate in Hong Kong.

Like Japan, Hong Kong pours a staggering amount of concrete—much of it in the service of vested interest. It has spent $3.8 billion a year on capital expenditures since the handover, a figure roughly equal to what India now invests annually on its ambitious national highway program. The bulk has gone into new roads, additional reclamation (some along the scenic downtown waterfront) and campus like facilities built at taxpayer expense to bolster the nascent science and technology industries. Next on the drawing board: a massive government office complex that will occupy the last harborside plot near Hong Kong's postcard central waterfront, as well as a logistics hub, another container port and a massive bridge to Macau all located on Lantau Island, Hong Kong's largest remaining wilderness area.

Such projects are increasingly a tough sell in a city where public opinion is turning decidedly greener and local campaigns to preserve historic areas slated for redevelopment garner substantial middle-class appeal. Pressure groups have formed to demand more parkland, oppose demolition of historical landmarks (like the Star Ferry Terminal in Central, which recently went under the wrecking ball) and limit the height of buildings in certain areas to preserve views and keep breezes flowing. Even the business community has begun to lobby for waterfront redevelopment modeled on successful projects that have revitalized docklands in cities like Melbourne, Barcelona and London. ''It's not that people are against construction," argues Ma Ngok, a political scientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "They're against [Hong Kong's] development-led ideology."

The opportunity costs of bad policy could be enormous. Hong Kong's environment is already deteriorating rapidly; air pollution, which on average reached hazardous levels every third day in 2006, is now a major deterrent to the professional talent the city needs to maintain its edge in finance and logistics. Last year, in a survey conducted for the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong by A.C. Nielsen, 95 percent of business executives said they worried the city's smog would harm them or their families, and more than half said they knew professionals who had declined work opportunities in Hong Kong because of the city's poor environment. Earlier this year the city took a major PR hit when the Hong Kong Philharmonic's vaunted Dutch conductor, Edo de Waart, abruptly moved his wife and kids to Wisconsin to escape the city's ''terrible" smog.

Hong Kong's have-nots can't vote with their feet. But because they'll someday wield ballots, their lot is a major political issue. Since 1997, working-class incomes have stagnated; unemployment peaked at nearly 10 percent a few years back but has since fallen by more than half, and living costs have risen sharply. Job insecurity is also rife as labor-intensive industries continue their exodus to China. Since 1995, official data show, the percentage of semiskilled workers in the economy has declined by almost a quarter and now accounts for just 16 percent of total employment. That's good news in that it illustrates Hong Kong's climb up the service chain.

But because the government didn't implement compulsory education until 1978, there's a huge demographic of workers now in their 40s and 50s who can't easily be retrained for the information age and who cling to menial jobs paying meager wages. ''I was a bus washer 20 years ago, and I know a woman who cleans buses today," says legislative councilor Leung Kwok-hung, a.k.a. Long Hair, a 51-year-old Marxist political activist who won his seat in 2004. ''Her salary is lower than what I got and her working hours are longer than mine were. It's ridiculous."

Hong Kong's tycoons are famous for their resistance to political change. They never pushed for democracy under British rule, and since the handover they've argued that the city is not yet ready for it, or that universal suffrage would threaten the economy because low-income voters would elect populists promising costly social programs. ''This is their blind spot, their idée fixe, about people who have no money," says Loh. ''They think everyone who is poor wants welfare, and they kind of discount the middle class, which is concerned about aging parents, the state of public health and have kids in good public schools." Loh and other activists say the root of the debate lies in interest-group politics and a business elite that believes ''if we give average people a political say, they're going to upset our apple cart."

The old apple cart is toppling anyway.

Labor-intensive industries are leaving, and no matter how much the government invests in cross-border roads and additional container terminals, Hong Kong's days as the pre-eminent maritime gateway to a vast continental economy are over. As with New York and London, necessity is proving the mother of invention.

To avoid decline, Hong Kong has begun to rethink how best to manage its precious green areas, rescue its historic waterfront from overdevelopment and otherwise enhance itself as a financial center worthy of global attention even as it better addresses the needs of the city's have-nots. Ten years ago such ideas amounted to heresy; now they are central to the political debate. As always, Hong Kong is showing the world it can learn, adapt and stay ahead.