Confidence perks up in Q2
Confidence amongst Chinese consumers has picked up in the second quarter, with those living in towns and villages more confident than those in big cities. A Nielsen survey revealed this yesterday, showing that the Consumer Confidence Index was up 6% from the 1st quarter.

Regulator to tighten working capital rules
The banking regulator said yesterday it would strengthen its controls on loans made by banks for corporate working capital in order to make sure the money is put to proper use. This is the second time this week that the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) announced its intentions to monitor loan after targeting fixed-asset investment lending on Monday.

photo from cfi.cn

Foreign Journalists Eyes on GD's Economic Performance
41 reporters from 19 famous overseas media including Associated Press, Routers and AFP, concluded a 5-day visit to Guangdong this week. The journalists visited factories and infrastructures but also met with top provincial and municipal officials, including the province¡¯s party secretary, Mr. Wang Yang. The aim of the trip was to give the international society an insight into Guangdong's economic and social situation one year into the global economic downturn, but also present the PRD Reform and Development Plan.

According to the Provincial Bureau of Statistics, urban residents in Guangdong saw their disposable income increase by 10.1% in Q2 of this year. As for the monthly increase, the same group of people saw their salaries rise by 270 yuan last month.
 

Dining Industry Grows by 20%
Restaurants and bars in Guangzhou enjoyed another good year. In the first half 2009, hotel and restaurants achieved a total retail value of 29.2 billion CNY, that's 18.5% increase. In May and June especially, the growth rate was well over 20%.