industry

www.reuters.com — Students returning from abroad and frequent international travellers will keep China's coffee consumption at 15 to 20 percent annual growth by patronising new domestic outlets selling high-priced versions of the brew, industry watchers said.

www.guardian.co.uk — High-profile strikes at Honda and other factories have put workers in southern China on the verge of gaining new rights, campaigners believe. Officials in Guangdong province – for years the country's manufacturing heartland – are debating proposals which activists say could be a landmark, allowing workers to democratically elect representatives to carry out collective bargaining.

www.alexhofford.com — 'Investment casting' means making a mold in wax, That mold is coated in a ceramic mixture and left to dry, dipped and thickened again. Molds are then roasted in ovens (because electricity is cheaper at night, this industrial scale roasting is done at night, and because workers don't like to be fined for safety violations they leave factories that enforce safety standards: eye, skin, touch). Scrap steel is melted, no one seems to care about safety.

www.theautochannel.com — The proposed $30-billion restructuring plan of General Motors would not impact its China operations, xinhuanet.com reported today, citing the company's local division. GM is still profitable in China's auto market with increased sales.