By Andrew Edwards

Staff Writer

China’s stock market is now the second largest in the world behind only the United States.  Measured by market capitalization some of the largest banks and insurance companies in the world are Chinese institutions.  Around 80% of assets in the Chinese banking system are controlled by the largest seventeen companies.  The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is the largest bank in the world by market capitalization and is ranked 92 of Fortune’s Global 500 in 2009.  ICBC is one of the “Big Four” commercial banks in China along with the Bank of China, and China Construction Bank.

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By Stefanie Ju

Staff Writer

With such nicknames as “Tech Dragon” and “Silicon Dragon”, in recent decades, China has proved its technological prowess to the world market. Consumers look to Chinese technology companies for products ranging from cell phones to semiconductors. Seeing and acknowledging this success, private investors also entered the stage by funneling large sums of money into technology companies. There has also been growing talk about a tech race between China and the United States. This fear has led many Americans to seek greater understanding of the Chinese technology boom. As a powerful competitor in the global technology market, China provides an array of companies that challenge global powerhouses such as Motorola and IBM. Three examples of these companies are Lenovo, the TCL Corporation, and the Shanghai Electric Group.

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By Stephen Moock

Staff Writer

Plan on investing about 80 times the average annual income of a Beijing resident for a standard 1,000 square foot apartment. Prices have not al-ways been so high. In 2009 China’s real estate market grew at a rate that put the pre-crisis US housing market to shame. According to Bloomberg News, average housing prices rose over 57% on the year. While at first, the rapid growth of China’s real estate economy was viewed as a testament to China’s successful stimulus package which expanded lending to individuals seeking to finance their homes. However, soon analysts began to realize the rate of growth could not be withstood for much longer without the formation of a bubble prime for popping. “It’s definitely a bubble,” said Beijing real estate broker Xu Xiangdong.

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By Christopher Young

Staff Writer

Healthcare reform has once again surged as the hot button topic in American politics. The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act has generated an inordinate amount of controversy. With all the arguments being made for and against healthcare reform, the history of American healthcare reform provides perspective on how the state of health care arrived at the current situation. Since Theodore Roosevelt, nearly every president has attempted to address healthcare reform in one way to another. Yet, every time healthcare became a pertinent issue, business rises up against. From “Hillarycare” to Lyndon Johnson’s Medicare system, the history of American healthcare reform is littered with very few successes and an overwhelming number of failed bills, due in large part to the forces of the medical industry and the insurance industry.

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