Singapore entrepreneurs travel to Catalonia to learn from its gastronomy

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/07/21/catalunya/1311275284.html (in Spanish)

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="432" caption="Restaurant Can Jubany (image from Restaurant Can Jubany website)"][/caption]

A group of 20 entrepreneurs and directives from Singaporean companies have traveled to Catalonia in order to learn about its food industry and its gastronomy. This visit has been arranged by the government of Singapore, that helps companies to learn from innovation done by other countries, and Catalonia has been the chosen one in the food sector. The Singaporean delegation has visited companies such Europastry, Gallina Blanca and Damm, and they have been surprised by the high level of robotization in the production process of the latter.  They have also visited the baker and chocolate expert Enric Rovira, as well as restaurants Via Veneto, Can Jubany, and the new foundation created by El Bulli owner Ferran Adrià, Fundació Alícia, a research centre focusing on technological innovation in kitchen science and the dissemination of agronourishment and gastronomic heritage.

Taiwan leaps up to #6 in the world competitiveness ranking in 2010

From http://www.cepd.gov.tw/encontent/m1.aspx?sNo=0015529 (in English)

According to the newest edition of the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY), the competitiveness of Taiwan's economy has kept on improving during 2010, as shown by the advancement of two positions, from #8 to #6, the best results ever achieved. The world ranking is led by Hong Kong (formerly in position #2), followed by the United States of America (formerly in position #3) and by Singapore (formerly in position #1). The rest of the Top 10 countries are Sweden (#4), Switzerland (#5), Canada (#7), Qatar (#8), Australia (#9) and Germany (#10). Spain is ranked at position #35. The scoreboard of the 59 most competitive countries in the world during 2010 can be downloaded at the IMD website.

Good expectations for Taiwan economy on the second half of 2011

From http://www.cepd.gov.tw/encontent/m1.aspx?sNo=0015636 (in English)

According to the release of the latest edition of World Economic Climate report, the general evaluation of Taiwan’s economy is satisfactory and there are good expectations for the second half of 2011, with an expected slight improvement in overall economic performance and private consumption. The World Economic Climate report is issued by German CESIfo Group.

Chinese-Catalan TV series starts on July 18th on Catalan channel TV3

From http://www.lavanguardia.com/television/20110712/54185009419/una-telenovela-chino-catalana-sustituye-a-la-riera-en-tv3-este-verano.html (in Spanish)

A truly original TV series will start being broadcast on July 18th on TV3, the publicly owned Catalan channel. This new TV series is a co-production by China and Catalonia and will be offered during the early aftenoon prime time of the summer 2011. Its title is "Secrets de Xangai" (Secrets of Shanghai), is mainly focused on human relationships (love, passion, intrigue) and consists of 23 episodes. The only Catalan main role is played by actress Montse Alcoverro, who's character is a Catalan woman that lives in Barcelona and that is married to a man that left China more than 20 years ago and that has been able to create a big company in Spain. The pleasant life of the couple, that has a 20-year old son named Josep, is broken when the husband decides to go back to China to look for the woman and the wife he left there.

The series has already been broadcast during February and March 2011 in China, on the Dragon TV channel, and has been followed by more than 100 million fans. It was originally filmed in English and the length of the chapters has been adapted for the different tastes of the audiences -shorter episodes in Catalonia and longer in China-.

The trailer of the series can be watched at http://www.tv3.cat/videos/3619010/Estrena-de-Secrets-de-Xangai until July 18th, 2011

http://www.tv3.cat/3alacarta/#/videos/36190

President Artur Mas offers Catalonia to Chinese companies as base for SW Europe

From http://premsa.gencat.cat/pres_fsvp/AppJava/notapremsavw/detall.do?id=115170 (in Catalan)

The president of the Catalan government, Artur Mas, has offered Catalonia to Chinese companies to estabish in the area and to use it as a base for expanding their businesses to south western Europe, northern Africa and the Mediterranean area.  In his speech at the 6th edition of the Spain China Forum, Artur Mas has announced that government is working to make Catalonia attractive for foreign investors, specially for Chinese companies. He has also stated that Catalonia is already the Spanish autonomous community with a greater relationship with China and that with every passing day there is an increase in the relationship between companies from both countries, as well as an increase in both the trading and touristic activities. Finally, he has remembered the Chinese community in Catalonia (around 50,000 people) and how their roots are getting deeper into the Catalan society.

New Mayor of Barcelona wants to promote investments by Chinese companies

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/07/05/catalunya/1309884101.html (in Spanish)

New Mayor of the city of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, has announced today in the 6th edition of the Spain China Forum, his intention to promote that international companies from all over the world, but specially the Chinese ones, could invest in the city. He said that he will work for a strengthening of the relationship with China, since it can be of great interest for both Chinese companies willing to establish in Barcelona and Catalan companies willing to establish in China. His speech at the 6th edition of the Spain China Forum was his first high-profile political activity, after he was elected Mayor on July 1st, 2011.

Catalonia leads the decrease on unemployment in June

From http://www.expansion.com/2011/07/04/catalunya/1309766613.html (in Spanish)

Unemployment in Catalonia has decreased by 18,948 people in June 2011, which represents a reduction of 3.18% as compared with the previous month. June is the third consecutive month in which unemployment decreases and the total number of jobless people is now 576,394, according the official statistics recently released. Catalonia is the autonomous community in Spain with the greatest reduction, followed by Castile and León (9,122 less unemployed people) and Galicia (6,457 less unemployed people).