At long last there are signs that at least some Indonesian companies are beginning to get serious about repaying their foreign debt. Now, economists and bankers hope the recent surge in the value of the rupiah against the U.S. dollar will unleash a torrent of debt restructuring that could finally get the economy going again. By Dan Murphy. Top business leaders are accompanying Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on his trip to China beginning on July 8. Their presence is a clear sign that Japanese investment in China is likely to rebound after plummeting.
China is just too irresistible a site for production and too tempting a market.
By Chester Dawson. While not everyone is convinced it can reach that target, the country does at least appear to be doing better than might have been expected after last year's devastating floods. By S. Kamaluddin. The financial crisis has exacerbated old environmental crises as well as created new ones, writes Peter Dauvergne, a lecturer of the University of Sydney. It has also weakened the capacity and resolve of governments to enforce environmental regulations.