EXOTIC DESIGN: Overseas purchasers select Miao minority headwear products at the 18th China Import and Export Fair, Kunming held in the capital of Yunnan Province on June 7. The fair attracts 50,000 dealers, of which nearly 20,000 are from overseas (YANG ZONGYOU)

Honda Halts Production

Honda Motor Co. stopped production at two Chinese factories on June 9 due to an ongoing strike at a parts factory.

The two factories of the Honda joint venture in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, were forced to suspend production because of a worker walkout at Foshan Fengfu Autoparts Co. Ltd., its only supplier of mufflers and exhaust pipes.

A total of 120 workers were on strike. Eight worker representatives were negotiating with the company, demanding a pay rise of 300 yuan ($43.8) per month for each worker, said a Xinhua News Agency report, quoting Zhu Linjie, spokesman for Honda in Beijing.

Foshan Fengfu is a joint venture between Yutaka Giken, a subsidiary of Honda, and Taiwan's Moonstone Holding Ltd.

Tibet Airlines

Tibet Airlines, the first carrier based in Tibet Autonomous Region, is currently recruiting employees and preparing for its maiden flight in 2011, said a China Business News report.

Approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Tibet Airlines was founded this March with a registered capital of 280 million yuan ($41.1 million). State-owned Tibet Investment Co. holds a 51-percent stake in the carrier while two Lhasa-based private investment companies, Sanli and Ruiyi, own 39 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

The carrier will initially introduce three aircraft and operate flights within Tibet Autonomous Region and link the region's capital, Lhasa, with other major cities around the country.

Appliance Program

China will extend its home appliance trade-in program to December 31, 2011, to boost consumption and help the industry develop.

The program has been expanded to benefit customers in another 19 provinces and cities since June 1, said the Ministry of Commerce. The program, previously available in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and several coastal provinces on a trial basis, allows consumers to trade in their old home appliances and receive a 10-percent discount on new ones. Five appliance categories—televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and computers—are eligible for the program.

As of the end of May 2010, the government had handed out more than 5 billion yuan ($732 million) in subsidies to home appliance purchasers.

Cross-Straits Forum

The Sixth Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Culture Forum will be held in Guangdong Province from July 8 to 11, said Yang Yi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on June 8.

The forum will focus on enhancing the competitiveness of both sides of the Taiwan Straits through cooperation in new industries. Its topics include deepening cross-Straits economic ties and promoting cooperation in new energy, energy saving, and environmental protection.

A seminar on culture and education will also be held during the four-day event. More than 400 industry leaders, experts and scholars from both the mainland and Taiwan will take part in the event.