Proximity of fastest growing region in China Essay

The Hong Kong HIT has been noted for its excellence in high end services, range of shipping lines and extensive coverage of destinations. Excellent institutional framework, a business-friendly environment, the professionalism of workers. The most important is Hong Kong legal system, which is trusted, tried and tested by international business. Hong Kong retains a distinct advantage in permitting the parties in maritime arbitration, to have the contract governed and construed in accordance with Hong Kong or English law. As an international financial centre, Hong Kong position itself as the business, trading and services hub for the Mainland and the region as a whole. At the same time, Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta will continue to be the main economic engine of southern China, as well as an increasingly wealthy consumer market and a strong regional economy aiming the global export market. Hong Kong does have a number of advantages over other Mainland cities, and will continue to do so in the future. A strong and well-regulated financial sector, a free press, the free flow of information, low taxes and a simple taxation system, a pool of ighly skilled managers with international experience, proximity to major markets, and a close network of services companies are among the strengths and advantages for business in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is supporting services for the maritime sector in Hong Kong, for example export finance, trade documentation and logistics. The business-friendly tax policy and favourable customs laws make Hong Kong competitive. Sufficient terminal basin and its approach channel depth to accommodate the increasing draughts of ultra-large container ships. The Marine Department has an annual tonnage charge reduction scheme in place for Hong Kong registered ships. It has also recently reduced fees for 24 marine-related services such as port dues, seafarers? licences fees, and certificate fees. Hong Kong competitiveness is further enhanced by the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with China. Weakness The absolute majority of the world bigest container ports are located in Asia. Most of the container ports belongs to Mainland China, the second bigest economy in the world. All this provides enormous opportunities for HIT, however every individual port faces new challenges and competition. Hong kong HIT is not an exception. Competitiveness of HIT has become a key issue. In other words any other Mainland port could be considered a competitor threatening the success of the HIT. As before many Chinese ports were poorly equipped to handle the sudden increase in exports from a rapidly expanding manufacturing sector, HIT was the obvious port of choice. After returning Hong Kong to China almost immediately many manufacturing industries relocated from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. A report released by the Better Hong Kong Foundation noted that Hong Kong was rapidly losing market share in cargo throughput to Shenzhen „newer and cheaper ports?. Carolyn Cartier, „Transnational Urbanism in the Reform-era Chinese City: Landscapes from Shenzhen?. Oportunities It is difficult to distinguish precise opportunities for HIT. The shareholders of HIT has indicated support for closer crossborder cooperation with other ports in the region. For instance, Shenzhen Port is controlled by the owners of Hong Kong HIT and is closer to manufacturing sources. However, many vessels continue to call at both ports. It is also important to recognise the vast amount of active industry companies located in Hong Kong which makes it (the Pearl Delta Region) a sustainable location for maritime businesses. Hong Kong advantage lies in its ability to cooperate effectively with the Mainland under the CEPA (HK and Macau, Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) and its well advanced industry. CEPA continues to provide benefits for Hong Kong businesses. As an economy, where 90% of GDP comes from services, Hong Kong strengths lie in services. On the other hand, the Mainland services sector has been developing as a noticeably slower pace compared to its manufacturing sector. The potential hence for overseas firms under CEPA is enormous. A problem with a large number of China FTZ was that they were not connected to ports. Thus cargo had to undergo customs check procedures prior to entering the FTZ or port. The opportunities for businesses in the services sector is enhanced by CEPA. The best way for overseas service suppliers to leverage on CEPA to gain access to the Mainland market is to set up a service company in Hong Kong, or partner with, invest in or even acquire service suppliers in Hong Kong. Overseas service suppliers acquiring an existing Hong Kong service supplier need to operate in Hong Kong for one year to demonstrate they are carrying on substantive business operations after the acquisition. If a foreign services supplier acquires less than 50 percent equity interest in a Hong Kong service supplier, the one year time bar does not apply. Better transport infrastructure will improve access to Mainland markets and enhance CEPA aims. For example, the integration of regional transport networks will be enhanced by the development of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge which has an expected completion date of 2016. Notably, it is an ongoing process of liberalization between the Mainland and Hong Kong. Hong Kong long-term economic prospects based on being able to maintain competitiveness and importance as a major centre for international finance, trade, transport and logistics, professional services, communications and tourism. In the past five years, Hong Kong has been positioning itself to sustain reasonable economic growth in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based world. Reforms have been launched in the key areas of financial services, education and the public sector to enhance Hong Kong attractiveness as a business hub with a highly-skilled workforce and a small, efficient government. Major steps have been undertaken to improve the environment, consolidate and enlarge Hong Kong position and to build the infrastructure needed to ensure continued development as a hub for trade and transport in Asia, and in particular the rapidly growing Pearl River Delta. Concerted efforts have been taken to promote and position Hong Kong as Asia world city. The Brand Hong Kong programme, launched in May 2001, is a long-term undertaking to focus greater international attention on Hong Kong strengths and advantages as the most free, open and cosmopolitan city in Asia. Container Terminal 9 (CT9), now being completed on Tsing Yi Island by the private sector, will consolidate Hong Kong position as the worlds busiest and most efficient container port. The 68-hectare project will have six berths and a design capacity to handle more than 2. 6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) a year. CT9 in a following years will bring annual total capacity at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal Basin to more than 15 million TEUs. The new marine basin will be able to handle the largest container ships. Threats Since 1997 when Hong Kong was returned to PRC the HIT has served as the gateway to China because of its strategical location in the Pearl River Delta region of southern China, the most advanced trading region in China. The Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, has been the most economically dynamic region of the Chinese Mainland since the beginning of China reform programme in 1979. The Chinese government establishment of a special economic zone in Shenzhen in 1979 gave an oportunity for Hong Kong and its container port to benefit from access to China, however development of mainland container ports in recent years has challenged HIT. Mainland ports invested in upgraded facilities with the help of foreign capital and a rapid move to privatization of ports. „Since 1985, mainland China has invested more in its port development than the rest of the world combined?. Kevin Cullinane, Wang Teng Fei and Sharon Cullinane, „Container Terminal Development in Mainland China and Its Impact on the Competitiveness of the Port of Hong Kong? Recent reports suggest that Chinese factories are moving further inland and in some cases, closer to Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta, seeking to lower evergrowing costs. The forecast annual growth rate for cargo in the region is 8. 6 per cent to 2020. The forecasts imply that Shenzhen market share of cargo in the region will increase to 55 per cent (from 16 per cent in 1999). Furthermore and contrary to the implications suggested by the report outlined above, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific pointed out that „by 2020 Shanghai is expected to be overtaken by Shenzhen to become the world? s largest container port.? Kevin Cullinane, Wang Teng Fei and Sharon Cullinane, „Container Terminal Development in Mainland China and Its Impact on the Competitiveness of the Port of Hong Kong? It is, of course, impossible to forecast which outcome will prevail. In the meantime most ports in China are concentrating on expanding capacity and upgrading and modernizing port facilities and operations. It is possible that many of Shenzhen business-friendly policies have been inspired by Hong Kong well-established and competitive customs and trade regimes, low tax and industry incentives. Nevertheless Hong Kong retains a number of competitive advantages such as well-integrated finance, legal and other service sectors, including a healthy body of industry groups. Hong Kong is clearly establishing itself as a hub for maritime services. Its traditional role as a transshipment hub will continue to face pressure from mainland China where the vast majority of export goods historically shipped from Hong Kong are manufactured. The implementation of FTZ and associated financial incentives for the maritime sector establishes the Mainland ports as a sustainable option for marine businesses, especially those seeking to move closer to manufacturing sources. Mainland ports traditionally competed at the lower end offering the lowest port charges in the region but with limited destinations and low service frequency. Yantian Port had the highest charges on the Mainland but offered a more competitive turnaround time and better global network integration. Various incentives and a rapidly developing economy in the Pearl River Delta region have shifted the balance.

An interpretation of Love in ChangRae Lee’s “A Gesture Life”

Interestingly, â€Å"A Gesture Life† is certainly not the kind of story that portrays love in a typical manner. It is quite amusing that there are lots of ironies if love was to be discussed in this book . This essay will show the readers that the desire for love in â€Å"A Gesture Life† had ironically hindered the acquisition of love. The novel of Chang-Rae Lee was basically about probably the worst kind of tragedy there is, not being loved by everyone even by oneself. If we are to classify the different forms of love in â€Å"A Gesture Life,† there are lots of technical terms that are always related to the concept of love like agape, pragmatic love, eros, complex chemical reactions and terms like pheromones and dopamine, and lots of scientific terms that few of us comprehends. This essay will only employ types of love that is understandable by all for the purpose of keeping this essay from being too general. This essay will focus on the main character’s love for the other characters and concepts in his life. But the essay will not settle for mere descriptions of the protagonist’s love, it will show the reader how love had been distorted and given meanings by the traumas that the protagonist had suffered during the war. The first kind of love from the novel is the love for acceptance. The protagonist Hata, had been begging (although he didn’t express this explicitly) for acceptance from the people in his life and his neighborhood. Hata was too careful about everything he does in his neighborhood. That is because he doesn’t want to commit mistakes that could get him noticed. He wanted a low-profile life in his neighborhood because he has this assumption that he will be the target of discrimination in the community. But contrary to what Hata is thinking, the citizen’s of his community, Bedley Run, appears to like Hata, but in the way Hata wants them to like him. Hata was treated like an Oriental mascot because the people in Bedley Run seem to like him only for the differences he and most of the people in Bedley Run share. Hata speaks of his love for acceptance in his community, â€Å"†¦my assumption is that once I settle in†¦I will be treated like as people should be treated† (Lee 3).   His assumptions of being accepted was brutally debunked by what had transpired during his stay in Bedley Run, â€Å"It seems to me that people took a weird interest in making me feel that I am unwelcome† (Lee 3) Hata’s love for acceptance didn’t end with his failed attempt with his neighborhood. It appears that Hata’s love for his adopted daughter Sunny, whom he had adopted when he was still in Korea when Sunny was just a child. While Sunny was growing up, she and her father were having endless disputes. In the long run, Sunny ran away from home even when she was just a teenager. Later in the story, Hata will have the chance to make up with her daughter. Sunny went back to Hata and asks for support for she was pregnant. Irritatingly, Hata denied Sunny’s plea for support. Hata had prioritized more his and his family’s reputation more than the well being of her daughter. It appears that even though Hata loves her daughter, his family’s reputation weighs more than the affection of his daughter. This is Hata’s real and unfortunate dilemma. He had stated several times in the narrative that he loves her daughter very much, but still he is quite unable show his love. After this he will contemplate heavily as to why his life is devoid of love, he will contemplate heavily as to why his life is remote to the lives of the ones he dears most. Hata’s weird and unproductive approach to love will backfire at him at the most tragic of scenarios. Hata had accidentally brought his house on fire and he was hurt in the fire and was hospitalized. After that he was caught in a web of nostalgia, he reminisced about the time he served as a paramedic in an army camp in the pacific war. There he had fallen in love with a certain woman whom he calls â€Å"K† who was about the same age as her adopted daughter Sunny. He had loved K as genuinely a man could love a woman. He was even willing to die and kill for K as she had committed murder and Hata was willing to offer help in covering up. But then, just like in the bulk of the story, Hata’s love remains unrequited. K had viewed his love as having ill intentions. K thought that Hata was only after her youth and was only after sex. This tragic memory of Hata had some great effects in later in his life especially the relationships he had, especially with her daughter. In a weird but true manner, Hata’s kind of loves are real and unfortunately remains unrequited. Hata’s situation is what we see everyday happening to real people. That is just the truthfulness that made this story a success. The novel â€Å"A Gesture Life† may have been talking about the tragic life of Hata when it comes to love, but what it was actually talking about is how some people find it very hard to be loved just because they themselves find it hard to love others. In the story, Hata seems to be the kind of person who never knew the feeling of being loved. He has this hunger to be loved by the people around him. This for me is one of the reasons why many people find it easy to empathize with the character of Hata. Work Cited Lee, Chang-Rae. A Gesture Life. CA: Riverhead books. 1999

Employee Discipline Policy (human Resource) Employee Labor and Assignment

Employee Discipline Policy (human Resource) Employee Labor and Relations Class - Assignment Example The employers should develop the policy with one attorney or with trade bodies in order to ensure that it does not violate any laws (What can you do about employee absenteeism?, n.d.). The employers should also make the policy known to the employees before fully implementing it (What can you do about employee absenteeism, n.d.). It is necessary that the employers are able to check if the policy is fully implemented. The attendance records help the employers to check which of the employees are regular and who are making frequent leaves (Controlling Employees’ Absenteeism, 2011). Thus analysis of attendance records should be done after the implementation of the policy. Though there are challenges in managing absenteeism, the company must make sure that all employees are treated the well and there is no discrimination when implementing the policy. The company should maintain to be consistent, persistent and fair to all. And lastly, when implementing policy, it is better to implem ent the programs and policies in a facultative manner rather than punitive because majority of the employees will appreciate this kind of approach (Yorges, n.d.). Sources: Controlling Employees’ Absenteeism, (2011).

The value the ICH Guidelines bring to the field of clinical research Essay

The value the ICH Guidelines bring to the field of clinical research - Essay Example The quality guidelines ensure maintenance of high quality in clinical research at all times. The guidelines provide harmonization procedures that are crucial for standardization of clinical research. The presence of standardization means it is easy to monitor factors that point to low quality. The quality guidelines provide the thresholds for testing and a relatively flexible approach to research that includes the use of pharmaceutical products (ICH, 2005). Quality guidelines ensure good manufacturing practices are implemented in the production of all pharmaceutical products. ICH guidelines support clinical research by availing detailed safety guidelines that increases the chances of success and limits injuries (ICH, 2005). The guidelines aid in identifying or unearthing potential risks, which include carcinogenicity, reprotoxicity, and genotoxicity. Recently, there was a breakthrough in a non-clinical testing strategy that is used to assess the QT internal prolongation liability. It is a signification contribution to the field of clinical research. The carcinogenicity studies provide safety guidelines on the use of rodents, the importance of carcinogenicity pharmaceuticals, prices, and any relevant issues that affect the performance of the drug. Safety guidelines help in maximizing success and minimizing failure and losses. Safety is among the foundational issues in matters concerning clinical research. Efficacy guidelines are all about conduct, design, safety and the reporting guidelines for clinical trials (ICH, 2005). They provide a benchmark that can be used to measure success or efficiency in the clinical research. The guidelines also touch on new drugs that have been made biotechnological procedures and the use of genomic techniques. These processes aid in the development of improved medicines. These guidelines have a huge impact on the safety of clinical

World Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

World Religion - Essay Example This report approves that the temple is a place where Buddhist monks and lay people gather to practice meditation. Since meditation requires quiet and concentration, there are special rooms set aside in the temple for groups or individuals to sit on their pillows and meditate. The temple provides lay people with retreats, usually overnight stays but people can stay longer. When a person stays with the monks, they sleep on a simple mat and eat the same foods as the monks using the same simple black bowls. The purpose of a retreat is to simplify the person’s life, to relax, and to concentrate on meditation, so lay people do not get special treatment. The traditional tea ceremony is one of the activities that lay people participate in with the monks. They are also encouraged to work around the temple grounds and to study the grounds and buildings during tours so they can have an understanding of what traditional Buddhist worship is like. All these activities for lay people are me ant to encourage simplicity and concentration. This essay makes a conclusion that it is amazing to think of this place as enduring for more than 1,215 years in the same spot. Even though many events have happened this might have destroyed or disbanded the monks, it continued on even through religious oppression and many wars and natural disasters. This shows that the temple and the ideas of Buddhism are enduring, and even though there is this long history the monks still lead very simple lives. Outsiders can have a little taste of this Buddhist life, too.

Dreams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dreams - Research Paper Example A study had been done to show how the lives of people can have a great effect on what and how they dream. After comparing what people go through and what they dream about, it has been determined that the events and situations that a person faces plays a big role in what they dream. A dream is a sequence of mental images, thoughts and feelings that involuntarily take place while an individual is sleeping. Sigmund Freud hypothesized the Dynamic Theory of Dream Formation to help explain what actually causes dreams to be formed. This theory states that dreams are constructed in the brain of a sleeping individual by unconscious impulses, or an incident or thought that had been silenced throughout the day that makes itself known as a underlying thought while the brain is resting. â€Å"Every dream is on the one hand the fulfillment of a wish on the part of the unconscious and on the other hand the fulfillment of the normal wish to sleep which sets the sleep going (Freud, 2003).† Rapid eye movement (REM) is a vital aspect of both sleeping and dreaming. REM is the standard stage of sleep that is distinguished by rapid movements of the eyes. This cycle of rapid eye movement contains two other categories: tonic and phasic. The rapid eye movement cycle is also characterized by low muscle tone and a swift, low voltage electroencephalography (EEG). Dominating brain waves are not present during the rapid eye movement cycle as the brain is not at its complete functioning level. In a typical night, individuals go though four or five bouts of rapid eye movement sleep, all of which totals an hour and a half to two hours at the maximum. Dreams take place during the rapid eye movement cycle as this is when the person is in the deepest of sleep. The dreams that most people are able to remember after waking up are those that are done during the rapid eye movement cycle. This is mostly due in part to the fact that it is common for people to wake up after

Deon Meyer Dead Before Dying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Deon Meyer Dead Before Dying - Essay Example Whereas it cannot be argued that Death Before Dying should be understood as a pinnacle achievement of literature, it nonetheless engages the reader in several levels of understanding concerning violence and its role within the culture and expectations of Africa. Within such an understanding, the following analysis will seek to perform a literary analysis upon Death Before Dying as a means of highlighting and underscoring the level of prejudice and implied expectations that the author conveys within this particular book.... ever having been there, he/she will most likely leverage a prior level of understanding and/or stereotypes that are somewhat universal and exist in the minds of the majority of readers. By utilizing such a tactic, it is possible for the author to convey deep shades of meaning in only a few words.5 Such is very much the case in the novel in question. Rather than spending the first half of the book describing the cultural elements and unique levels of understanding that help to define violence within Africa, the author instead leverages this expectation of violence as a means of cementing the existing prejudices that are evident with regards to Africa.6 Although this is not the author’s main criteria, it nonetheless functions as a powerful means of securing a vivid and profound image in the mind of the reader and reinforcing that image as the storyline progresses.7 Though it might seem as somewhat silly for the reader to expect a simple novel as a possible opportunity to become further informed concerning the realities that define life and understandings of violence within Africa, the ultimate fact of the matter is that this form of media is precisely the type of information that serves to either crush or reinforce existing stereotypes within the minds of the reader.8 As such, the author begins the novel with a terse presentation of the current state of South Africa. From the very opening lines, the reader can infer that something of a powerful expectation for violence is instilled not only within the main characters but also within the media and general population of the nation as well. As a means of even further reinforcing such an understanding, the author tacitly alludes to violence serving the media and the populace as something of a means of interest. Although