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HONG KONG OFFICIAL PREDICTS PAIN, BUT LONG-TERM RECOVERY

Speaking to a crowd of students at the University of California, irvine, Hong Kong's Chief Secretary Anson Chan said that, for most people, day-to-day life in Hong Kong is the same under Chinese rule as it was under British rule. "There's not much difference in their lives before the 30th of June and after," Chan said last week.
That goes as well for Chart, who held the same position in the British administration. The first Chinese and first woman to hold the No. 2 spot in Hong Kong's administration said she faces the same critics and many of the same issues. "The press remains as critical of the administration as it ever was," said Chan, who oversees Hong Kong's 190,000-person civil service and is the top advisor to Chief Executive... [Read full article]

Semiconductor distributor Nu Horizons expands into Hong Kong, China and Taiwan

Semiconductor distributor Nu Horizons announced today it has expanded its partnership with San Jose, Calif.-based Micrel Inc. to distribute Micrel's analog, high bandwidth and Ethernet products in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.The companies initially formed a North American distribution partnership in 1991. Mark Lunsford, vice president of worldwide sales for subsidiary Micrel Semiconductor, said Nu Horizons' past performance was a factor in expanding the contract."Nu Horizons has successfully demonstrated the ability to create demand for Micrel's products through their motivated team," Lunsford said in a statement. "They possess all the key attributes we seek in a global distributor – world-class fulfillment, engineering support and in-depth product and solutions expertise."Nu Horizon shares (Nasdaq: NUHC) were up 1 percent, to $7.47, in early trading Tuesday. [Read full article]

Hong Kong Gadget Maker Sets Up in Irvine

Hong Kong consumer electronics maker Kessel International Holdings Ltd. has set up its U.S. headquarters in Irvine. Kessel Inc. currently employs 12 people in Irvine with plans to more than triple local employment to about 40 in the next year. Most of the workers will handle sales, marketing and customer support.

Company officials made the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show trade show in Las Vegas last week. "We selected OC as the North American head office because of proximity to the ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles, and because of the highly qualified and well-educated workforce here," said Jack Brantley, vice president marketing for Kessel. "We also liked the quality-of-life factors here."

The Hong Kong hang-up

At first glance, this port city of 7 million is everything its sovereign - China's central government - would like it to be. Its economy is one of the freest and most competitive in the world. Its wealth matches that of few other places. Its banking system is the envy of some of the most developed countries.

Business is booming, and so is tourism, bringing tens of millions of visitors a year. In the past year, the city has had two elections. A smooth and efficient transfer of power took place in the summer after its chief executive resigned. The legislature is busy enacting laws, and the debate there is often as heated as on Capitol Hill.