China's vaccine manufacturers are gearing up to push international vaccines exports over the next few years, with the move expected to challenge traditional dominance in vaccine production by Western pharmaceutical companies. more ›

Earlier this morning, a deadly fire broke out at a hawker stall close to the Ladies' Market in Hong Kong's Mong Kok district. The death toll has risen to nine people with a dozen people seriously injured, while the Hong Kong Fire Services Department pulled up with 30 trucks on the scene to the tame the 50 flaming stalls. The fire still remains under investigation. more ›

What's the best investment you could possibly have made with your money this year? We'll give you some hints: you probably like your broccoli sauteed in it, vampires can't stand it, and you should avoid eating it before a first date. Of course, we're talking about...garlic! Yep, the plant of the year in China has seen its value increase exponentially: one kilo of garlic is now worth over 6 yuan wholesale, up 286 percent since March. more ›

Shanghai food safety officials are looking into beef products after shoppers complained that meat on sale at a local market had been injected with water to up its weight. The widespread practice of waterlogging beef helps sellers earn more money per actual product, but exposes the meat to contamination from spoilage, chemicals or industrial waste. Authorities have only confiscated about 5kg so far and strongly suspect there is much more of the suspect beef on the market. The majority of the beef came from suppliers in Jiashan. While China has been trying to improve its food safety standards, the vastly unregulated market is proving to be incredibly challenging to control. Source: International Herald Tribune more ›

One of the main perks of moving to China is the relatively low cost of living. If any expats tell you otherwise, they're lying. The flip side is that it can be incredibly frustrating when you come across certain items that cost the same or more than you would normally pay in other countries. Beer and alcohol, particularly at bars and mid/high-range restaurants, immediately come to mind as do computers, name brand electronics, and cheese. One of the biggest disappointments, though, has been what seems to be the incredibly high cost of prescription glasses. We've seen them range anywhere from 500 to several thousand kuai, which seems a little fishy when every other person wears them in this country. more ›