Hainan Baling Chemical New Material Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, has launched production of its styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC) project in Hainan, China, which will reach an annual production capacity of 170,000 tons. Sinopec now has the largest world's largest production capacity of SBC plants. Baling New Material and Sinopec Hainan Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd. invested 1.924 billion yuan in the Hainan Baling project (USD 279.74 million). The project's SBC plant produces 170,000 tons of SBS and SEBS products annually, including 120,000 tons of SBS products and 50,000 SEBS products. The plant has 13 units including refining, polymerization, coalescence, recycling, auxiliaries preparation, and post-treatment, as well as supporting production and public facilities.

TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) is a class of copolymers that can be plasticized at high temperatures and has rubber elasticity at room temperature, and SBC is a type of TPE, the products of which include SBS, SEBS, SIS, and SEPS, which are widely used in shoes, asphalt modification, resin modification, adhesives, food packaging, medical equipment, sports equipment, automotives, and consumer electronics.

The Project uses Sinopec's self-developed SBS and SEBS full solution sets, including a clean manufacturing method that can create SBCs of varying grades and performances to fulfill customers' product customization needs. In the meanwhile, it's using Hainan Refining & Chemical's styrene and butadiene, Baling New Material's new technologies, and the Hainan Free Trade Port to minimize raw material and transportation costs and expand the industrial chain to optimize revenue. The Initiative will export SBC goods to developing European, Southeast Asian, and South Asian markets.

Sinopec has advanced synthetic rubber R&D in China for more than five decades. In the 1970s, Yanshan Petrochemical Research Institute developed butyllithium preparation and SBS polymerization technologies. Sinopec is one of only three firms in the world—and the only one in China—capable of industrial production of novel SEPS products using environmentally friendly technology. Baling New Material's SEPS facility, with a 20,000-ton annual production capacity, began production in August 2017.

With exclusive SBC technologies and proprietary intellectual property rights, Sinopec is now taking a technologically leading position in the world for the development of SBC technologies and products.

China is the world’s second-largest economy after the United States, making the market a potential opportunity for traders looking to diversify their trades—especially now as the S&P 500® Index struggles to break out of bear market territory. While the U.S. market is bearish, China has been enjoying a healthy rally, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index* soaring 50% in the three month period ending January 31. Here are some potential tips for traders looking to capture yield from China’s post-COVID recovery.

China’s Policies Supporting Market Growth Could Help Maintain Bullish Momentum

After three years of lockdowns meant to curb COVID cases, China officially dropped all COVID-related restrictions and reopened the economy. The reopening triggered an immediate rally across Chinese stocks last year that continued almost unabated until the end of January, when it began to level off.

But China’s economy has yet to recover its full pandemic era losses, which has some analysts optimistic that the rally still has plenty of room to grow.

The nation’s retail and travel sectors are anticipated to see the strongest growth this year as Chinese consumers look to spend a significant amount of savings accumulated over three years of repeated lockdowns.

Keep a Close Watch on U.S.-China Relations

While China’s economy has a strong positive outlook, momentum could be stymied if the simmering tensions between China and the U.S. boil into trade sanctions. The recent spy balloon debacle may have been the most public display of escalating tensions but the two nations have been battling over multiple geopolitical issues lately, which has traders cautious.

That includes concerns that China may choose to provide material support to Russia in the Ukraine invasion—though Beijing has said it’s committed to peace talks. Another source of tension is the issue of Taiwan’s independence and the U.S. military presence there.

In February, U.S. officials said they were planning to quadruple the number of U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan where they would help train the Taiwanese military. The expanded military presence is an effort to fend off a possible Chinese attack on the island nation, which China views as a breakaway province that should be brought under Beijing’s control.

While the countries continue to butt heads, neither has moved toward sanctions just yet but if they do, the impact on the stock market could be substantial, so traders may want to be ready to switch to a bearish strategy if that happens.

Seek Exposure to Chinese Stocks and Potentially Magnify Results by Trading Leveraged ETFs

Many traders opt for ETFs, rather than directly trading stocks on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange because it’s a way to gain exposure to Chinese securities that traders otherwise might not be able to trade outright due to foreign investment restrictions.

The Direxion's Daily FTSE China Bull (YINN) and Bear (YANG) 3X Shares, seek daily returns that are 300% or -300%, respectively, of the return of the FTSE China 50 Index*, giving traders a chance to not only gain exposure to the market but potentially magnify the performance of each trade they make.

The FTSE China 50 Index is made up of the 50 largest Chinese companies with the most liquidity currently trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

China New Higher Education Group Limited (“China New Higher Education Group”, together with its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as the “Group”, stock code: 2001.HK) is pleased to announce that the Group won three awards in December 2022, including “Sustainability Award of the Year” by Gelonghui, and “Best Small and Medium Cap Company Award” and “Best IR Team Award” of the “Embracing 2023 – 7th Zhitong Finance Capital Market Annual Meeting” which was co-organized by Zhitong Finance, Royalflush Finance and China Galaxy Securities, representing the recognition of the Group’s outstanding performance and comprehensive strength by the industry and the capital market.

The 7th “2023 Global Investment Carnival”, organized by Gelonghui, was grandly opened on December 16. The conference received chief cooperation support from Ping An, as well as co-sponsorship of Chinese Securities Association of Hong Kong, HKIRA and other professional associations, enjoying high professionalism and reputation in the industry.

The Group won the “Sustainability Award of the Year” of the “Ginger Award” for Selection of Outstanding Listed Companies in Greater China, in recognition of the Group’s outstanding performance in environmental, social and corporate governance. Such award was also granted to well-known enterprises such as Ping An and utility corporations. The award is highly in line with the Group’s sustainable and high-quality development strategy, indicating that the Group’s sustainable development capability is further recognized by the market.

“Best Small and Medium Cap Company Award” and “Best IR Team Award” jointly awarded by Zhitong Finance, Royalflush Finance and China Galaxy Securities

On December 19, the “Embracing 2023 – 7th Zhitong Finance Capital Market Annual Meeting”, co-organized by Zhitong Finance, Royalflush Finance and China Galaxy Securities, opened in Hangzhou. China New Higher Education Group was awarded the “Best Small and Medium Cap Company Award” in recognition of the Group’s sound operation and great potential among listed companies with a market capitalization within HKD10 billion; meanwhile, the IR Department of the Group was awarded the “Best IR Team Award” by Zhitong Finance in recognition of its outstanding investor relations management.

The Group’s IR Department received the award on-site and held offline roadshow meetings with dozens of investors to deliver the achievements of the Group’s high-quality development on an ongoing basis.

China New Higher Education Group has been focusing on the higher vocational education for 23 years, always adhering to “Student-oriented” and unswervingly taking the road of high-quality development. With the mission of “Striving for the career achievements and life happiness of students”, the Group has been committing to the educational philosophy of “strengthening morality through education, teaching students according to their aptitude, and studying for the sake of application”, and continuously strengthening the connotative construction of faculty, teaching and research, employment and entrepreneurship, practical training conditions, student experience, campus environment and social services, in particular, the precise investment in teaching, employment and service experience that the students and teachers are most concerned about, which have improved the capability of talent cultivation, integrated service and education into all aspects, continuously improved the brand efficiency, and significantly enhanced the strength of school operation. The wining of the three capital market awards by China New Higher Education Group fully demonstrates the recognition and affirmation of the Group’s comprehensive strength, brand value and development prospects from the market.

China New Higher Education Group said that in the future, the Group will continue to follow the path of high-quality development, strengthen the attributes of a top-performing utilities stock in the Hong Kong stock market and adhere to “Student-oriented” to deliver high-quality technical and skilled talents with innovative spirit and practical capability, trustworthy and social responsibility for the society, create greater value for the society and provide education that satisfies the people.

China New Higher Education Group is a leading higher vocational education group in China with more than 20 years of higher vocational education experience. The Group focuses on providing high-quality higher vocational education in various fields and is committed to cultivating application-oriented and high-quality technical skill talents for the country, helping students gain high-level employability and achieve a wonderful life. As a leader in high-quality employment, the Group has won the title of the “Top 50 National Employment” awarded by the MOE with an average employment rate of approximately 98%, much higher than the national average. The Group’s network of schools has covered Yunnan, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Gansu, Guizhou, Henan and Guangxi provinces.

Chinese office etiquette is an essential part of Chinese culture that must be respected and observed. Certainly, it is necessary for anyone working in a Chinese office to be aware of the customs and traditions- this helps them avoid offending anyone or causing misunderstandings. You can master the complete translation of Chinese idioms, proverbs and sayings into English. You can learn why Chinese is more than just a language. You can learn how to treat your coworkers like family. Commonly called Chan Bu, Chinese office etiquette is an essential element of daily life in China. In fact, it symbolizes polite behaviour.

Generally speaking, Chinese management is based on a hierarchical structure- younger employees obey their superiors, and older managers won't hesitate to tell them off when they're out of line. Directors will speak in respectful tones with their junior colleagues. It's easy to learn the tools and codes of Chinese etiquette; this includes helpful tips on how to dress appropriately, what to do with your hands and feet in the office, and how and when to use accent marks when speaking Chinese. Undoubtedly, the Chinese are a polite and hospitable people-there's much to learn from their sense of culture. But more than this, the Chinese have their own informal code of conduct; they consider it important- sometimes more important than formal etiquette.

Chinese office etiquette provides the perfect avenue for establishing harmonious and productive relationships. Unsurprisingly, Chinese office etiquette may be radically different from what you are used to. Such etiquette affects the way people relate to each other- it makes it easier to function as a team. Simply put, we can familiarize ourselves with things like time-sharing, tardiness, and hierarchy.

As you may guess, Chinese workplace culture is way different from Western culture- for example, in China, the superior is expected to serve the charges before oneself. This makes professionals more considerate and respectful towards their coworkers. Perhaps, by learning about such office etiquette practices, Westerners can incorporate them into their own work environment. In turn, this can create a mutually beneficial environment for all parties.

Chinese office etiquette includes everything- from how to dress, greet colleagues, interact with clients, and how to speak. It covers topics like how to handle conflicts, show respect for authority figures, and manage expectations. Understanding Chinese office etiquette will help you build great relationships with your colleagues; it ensures everyone feels comfortable in the workplace.

As such, Chinese etiquette is essential for anyone working in this environment. Chinese culture is based on respect and politeness; adhere to the rules of etiquette when interacting with colleagues. This includes respecting seniority and hierarchy and avoiding specific topics of conversation. Understanding the nuances of Chinese office etiquette will help you make an impression on your colleagues and ensure a successful career in China.

It is essential to understand the cultural differences between various countries and how they affect the way we interact with each other. As noted, in China, there are rules to be followed if you want to be respected and accepted in the workplace. This includes table manners and conversation topics. Knowing these rules can help you build relationships with your colleagues and ensure you are not offending anyone.

Obviously, Chinese etiquette is not a matter to be missed by anyone who plans to work in China. You will often hear about it when discussing the differences between Chinese culture and Western culture. One feature of Chinese etiquette is the use of chopsticks. Also, Chinese work etiquette involves hard work; many don’t have time to express their feelings about this.

Overall, Chinese office etiquette is easy to follow. Employees are given a guideline to follow as long as they are at work. The commonly followed rules are: It is important that individuals treat others with respect, including coworkers. In case of a disagreement between coworkers, employees should not make personal attacks on others; If a coworker asks you for help, do not ignore the request. Keep your work area neat and clean; Never destroy written documents or items that belong to others. Notwithstanding, Chinese office etiquette may be hard to understand for non-native speakers. It can, however, be easier with a bit of help.