Beijing objects to U.S. labelling Taobao as a “notorious market”

News this week: Last week, Beijing hit a back at U.S. trade authorities stating that the U.S. “acted irresponsibly” when they cited Taobao, an Alibaba subsidiary, as a “notorious market.”

Shen Danyan, from China’s Ministry of Commerce, stated “Since there is no conclusive evidence, there is no detailed analysis, this is very irresponsible and not objective.”

This statement was a reaction to a list released by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in mid-December. The list highlights markets used to sell pirated and counterfeited goods. The updated list did remove Baidu, the leading Chinese language search engine, but Taobao remains on the USTR list.

After the list was released in December, the Alibaba Group responded by stating that the company continued to be committed to protecting intellectual property rights.

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U.S. finally moves to ease visa restrictions

News this week: The U.S. government is finally taking steps to simplify the U.S. visa application process. On 19^th January, President Obama signed an executive order with the aim of the reducing paperwork and time required to process visas. The executive order specifically sets out to reduce the waiting time of applicants from China and Brazil. It also eliminates the need for Taiwanese to apply for U.S. visas.

The move will provide a clear benefit to the U.S. economy as it will be easier for millions of tourists and business travellers to enter the U.S. This also has wide ranging benefits for the U.S. exhibition industry which has long-suffered due to the slow, bureaucratic visa system.

Stephanie Selenick, president of International Trade Information, previously noted that visa applicants in Shanghai wait an average of 51 days for a visa interview and more than 120 days in Sao Paulo.

This executive order will solve the problem, but at a minimum it is a step in the right direction with potentially strong benefits for U.S. exhibition organisers looking to attract international visitors and exhibitors.

This post is excerpted from BSG's weekly e-newsletter which is part of our subscription research service, BSG Tracker. Visit our website to find out more about this service. You can also follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates.

New convention centre approved in India

News this week: Plans to build a US$55 million international convention centre have been approved by the Indian state government of Bihar. The state of Bihar is located in the north-east of India and features a population of over 100 million people – making it the 3^rd most populous state in India.

The riverside convention centre will reportedly have a capacity of 5,000 which includes three meeting halls – each with a seating capacity of 50 to 300. Other facilities planned for the project will include a plenary hall, cultural and media centres, VIP lounge, shopping areas and a food court.

Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, commented in the press, “The government has already given its in-principle approval to the project, which is aimed to provide world-class venue for recreational, cultural and other activities in the city.”

The government did not release a completion date for the project.

This post is excerpted from BSG's weekly e-newsletter which is part of our subscription research service, BSG Tracker. Visit our website to find out more about this service. You can also follow us on Twitter for all the latest updates.