Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros
Saturday, January 25, 2014
State Department: We Can Help Greece with Xeros Case
Greek far-right lawmaker to run for Athens mayor
Aghan survivors of sunk boat carrying migrants allege brutal behavior by Greek ...
First Greek Crematorium to Open in Volos
Albanian police arrest prison escapee from Greece, on the hunt for an associate
No Trace of Missing Greek Tanker
Greek and Albanian Police Arrest Fugitive Ilir Koupa
Survivors say Greek policy caused deaths of 12 migrants in Aegean Sea
Greece Tries To Contain Smuggled Cigarettes
Boat Sinking Survivors Denounce Greek Authorities
First CoderDojo in Athens
Greek Application to be Presented at Austin Festival
N.Y. Parade Grand Marshals Presented
NEW YORK – The Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York presented the grand marshals of this year’s Greek Independence Day Parade at the Greek Press office on January 24. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and George Tsunis, businessman, philanthropist and nominee to be the United States’ ambassador to Norway, will be leading the community […]
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At The Shore Today: Greek dance troupe to perform in Atlantic City
'Greek's' Paul James joins 'Grey's Anatomy' Season 10
Greek tradition observed at St. Spyridon
Schaeuble hails Greek progress as part of euro recovery
Ten caught for Volos drug ring
Greece to make competition proposals to troika
Charity funds mobile medical units serving remote islands
Panic sales on bourse as multiple problems are emerging
Special treatment sought on carbon emission costs
Argentinian firm eyes Greek regional airports
Banks issue ultimatum to fish farming companies
E-commerce gains ground thanks to the crisis
Naperville Eats: Chicken Kapama and Greek Salad recipes
Reservations closing January 31 for Greece, Turkey and Aegean Sea Island ...
China's investments in the US are growing. Should we be concerned?
A majority of Americans believe China poses the greatest threat to the US economy. Such fears are unwarranted
Leaked documents this week revealed what many already knew: Chinese investors are storing their money – and investing – more and more overseas. China's rich and powerful seem to prefer the British Virgin Islands for their offshore transactions, but the US and Europe remain top destinations for their actual investments. The question is: should we be concerned?
Polls show that a majority of Americans believe China poses the greatest threat to the US economy, and a third aren't comfortable with any investment by Chinese firms into US companies. In the past, the US government has killed Chinese investments in American companies, such as an infamous deal where China's state-owned CNOOC tried to buy petroleum company Unocal corp for $18.5bn in 2005.
On the one hand, people look at the high-profile investments that China is making in the west, especially US real estate, and they question whether such iconic places should be in a communist country's hands. In the Big Apple, Beijing real-estate tycoon Zhang Xin led an investment group's .4bn purchase of the General Motors office tower last year, a 50-story monster that reportedly is the most expensive building in the US. Another headliner was Fosun International Ltd's purchase of the landmark building One Chase Manhattan Plaza for $725mn from JP Morgan Chase. Anticipating a surge in Chinese commercial activity, Fosun billionaire co-founder Guo Guangchang projects that eventually his company will fill as much as one-third of the building with Chinese companies. No doubt they will be assisted by the China Center (CCNY), a pro-business headquarters for Chinese investors and companies seeking to gain a foothold in the US. CCNY will be one of the biggest tenants in the new One World Trade Center (the site of the 9/11 terrorist attack), taking up six floors and 190,000 square feet of office space.
This kind of investment is good for New York City, and a sign of Chinese investors' confidence in the Big Apple during a time of economic uncertainty.
But money from China isn't just flowing into big time projects in Manhattan. It's also going to unlikely places, such as bankrupted Detroit, where financing is badly needed. Motown has become the fourth most popular US destination for Chinese real estate investors (behind New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia). With thousands of homes foreclosed, some two-storey homes have been auctioned off for as little as . This attracted attention in China, with state broadcaster China Central Television reporting that houses in Detroit cost the same as "a pair of leather shoes".
Chinese investors have made bulk purchases of dozens of cheap homes in the urban rings surrounding the city center, many of them bought without even having been seen. Then Dongdu International Group of Shanghai bought two downtown icons: the Detroit Free Press building for $9.4mn and the David Stott building for $4.2mn. Yes, Chinese investors have purchased the former headquarters of the free press in Motor Town.
Most of these investments should be welcome, not only in the US but also in Europe. Indeed, Europe has attracted twice as much Chinese investment as the US, as investors have seized commercial opportunities arising from the eurozone crisis. The Chinese have been providing fresh capital when western investors are tapped out or weary of troubled places like Detroit or Greece. This is a sign of China's further integration into the global market, and should be welcomed, not feared. The more the Chinese invest abroad, the more they have reason to want to partner with western countries and see them succeed.
But it goes beyond that. Americans need to understand what's driving Chinese investors. Many have begun looking abroad because of tight policy measures by China's communist government aimed at cooling off the country's overheated real estate market.
Some experts also believe that the parking of wealth offshore may indicate an increase in capital flight from China. A study conducted by Bank of China and Hurun found that more than half of China's millionaires have taken steps to emigrate or are considering doing so. Chinese individuals already have stashed offshore anywhere from $450bn to $658bn in assets, with Boston Consulting predicting that amount will double in three years. CNBC recently called the movement of Chinese capital "one of the largest and most rapid wealth migrations of our time". That's not a strong sign of Chinese investors' confidence in their own country.
On the other hand, the Chinese have only 13% of their wealth outside China, while the global average is 20% to 30%, according to Oliver Williams of WealthInsight. In a developing society like China, it's normal for the wealthy to geographically diversify their investment portfolios and send more of their wealth abroad.
While there's something ironic about investors from the land of "communism-capitalism" exploiting the west's economic vulnerabilities to snatch up valuable properties, that's how capitalism's "creative destruction" is supposed to work. Adam Smith would be pleased.
Unfortunately, the Chinese seem to want to play both sides of the coin. The Chinese government doesn't allow foreign investors to acquire properties of significance, whether real estate or companies. Other investment restrictions and requirements are applied to foreign enterprises in China, such as usually requiring foreign companies to enter into joint venture agreements with local Chinese partners.
While some consideration should be given to the fact that China is still a developing nation, in general East-West relations should live by the Investor's Golden Rule: "Invest in others as you would have them invest in you."
This principle should be enshrined in trade agreements, and be part of the findings whenever US or European regulators consider whether to approve Chinese investments.
The world should welcome China's further integration into the global market, since the more Chinese and western economies are integrated, the more it will build political bridges and diffuse tension. But the rules have to be fair and equal, and right now, they're not. China should be nudged to further open its economy. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
ChinaNew YorkDetroitJP MorganGeneral MotorsUnited StatesSteven Hilltheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsDavos 2014: ECB's Draghi says eurozone recovery still fragile
Mario Draghi said there had been dramatic improvements recently but some countries have yet to make the necessary structural reforms
European Central Bank president Mario Draghi has warned that Europe's recovery remains fragile, and renewed the pressure on European leaders to make structural reforms.
Appearing for a Q&A session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Draghi said there had been dramatic improvements since the eurozone debt crisis eased. But he cautioned: "We are seeing the beginning of a recovery that is still weak, still fragile, and still uneven."
Much of the recovery is based on exports, he added, while jobless rates have not yet fallen from their record highs. The youth unemployment levels in some countries show the need to reform labour markets and increase competitiveness.
Draghi said that some countries, such as Greece, had made meaningful progress on structural reforms while other peripheral nations had not, raising the risk of further instability.
Germany made the necessary reforms a decade ago, he pointed out, but others are lagging.
"We still have some core countries who need to reform – that's not because they did it 10 years ago, but because they've not done it," Draghi said.
The French government announced a wide-ranging economic reform plan earlier this month. And its finance minister, Pierre Moscovici, robustly rejected recent claims in the UK that France had become the "sick man of Europe".
"If being the sick man of Europe is being the 5th economy in the world, with GDP higher than Great Britain, the second economy in Europe, with capacities for education, for innovation, for investment, for creation, well, it's good to be sick," Moscovici told a Davos press conference.
Moscovici insisted he and Francois Hollande are committed to creating more jobs, improving competitiveness and cutting the national debt.
France's economy shrank by 0.1% in the third quarter of the year, and manufacturing surveys have shown falling output.
Moscovici, though, was adamant that the "foolish bashing" of France in some quarters was unfair.
"Saying France is a sick man is a caricature and a prejudice.Saying France needs to improve its economy is the truth, and it's exactly what we're doing," he said.
Draghi also told delegates that the upcoming Asset Quality Review, which will stress-test eurozone banks, should help rebuild confidence in the sector – and suggested some banks could fail it.
"Shedding light on banks' balance sheets should help them raise capital in the markets. And of course banks that should go, should go," he said.
DavosDavos 2014Eurozone crisisEuropeFranceMario DraghiEuropean Central BankGraeme Weardentheguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More FeedsGreek-Australian Blows The Whistle on Former MP
ELSTAT: Greek Tourism Recording Growth in 2013
New Greek Scheme: Young Work Free
With unemployment having hit a record 27.4 percent last year, and varying from 60-65 percent for those under 25, Greece's Centre of Planning and Economic Research in Greece has proposed they be given a job without a salary for a year.
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Greece, Troika in Long Tough Talks
Greece's finance minister said that the country was still in talks with international creditors over reforms, but insisted that the government was not being pressed to impose more austerity.
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Three Cops Charged in Migrant Theft
ATHENS – Three Greek policemen have been suspended and are being investigated on charges of stealing cash and beating four migrants during a drugs bust in central Athens. Police announced that the three had been suspended following complaints that they had stolen 1,100 euros ($1,500) from four Bangladeshi nationals during a search of their home, […]
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Eleftheria Arvanitaki: Live at Carnegie
ATHENS – Eleftheria Arvanitaki needs no introduction. She is well-known to Hellenes all over the world and of course to those who follow the Greek music scene on the “ethnic” market. She has given many concerts abroad could well called an international Greek singer, but not like the big stars who live abroad pay tribute […]
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The Port of Galaxidi
About a two and a half hour drive from Athens, the port of Galaxidi in the region of Fokida is a popular weekend destination for both dining and relaxation. Surrounded by mountains, Galaxidi’s double harbor and waterfront area makes for a nice visit and walk to local beaches, restaurants, cafes, and historical sites. Notable sites […]
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