Business Briefs

■ Copyrights
Feta food-fight trips up EU
The EU has a plan for the protection of its cheesemakers. At least, Brussels had a plan until a three-way food fight broke out this week between Greece, Germany and Denmark over the term feta. Greece insists that feta be added to the list, but Denmark and Germany, which also make the cheese, have objected, pointing out there is no such place as feta. As a generic term, they say it cannot be protected, a point they are contesting at the European court of justice. Europe's trading partners are watching with bemusement. They say fine food terms were effectively exported around the world with European migrants in the 19th century, and Brussels is seeking to protect its inefficient farmers. Britain, for one, no longer has any gastronomic treasures on the list, after asking for the term stilton to be removed.

■ Tourism
China may relax cash limits
China's government is considering increasing the amount of money Chinese can bring with them when traveling to Hong Kong to as much as 50,000 yuan (US$6,041) from the present 6,000 yuan, the Standard Newspaper reported without saying where it got its information. Visitor arrivals in Hong Kong rose four-fifths last month from June and the government forecasts the number of tourists from China to surge as visa restrictions are relaxed in China. A pickup in consumer spending and economic growth may make it easier for the government to help plug a budget deficit the government predicts will be HK$78 billion in the financial year to March 31. The government on May 30 halved its full-year growth forecast to 1.5 percent.

■ Labor
Women make more profits
Superior skills and more rational thinking make Chinese businesswomen more likely than their male counterparts to turn a profit, state media said yesterday. About 98 percent of all businesses run by women in China are profitable, compared with 80 percent overall, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a survey conducted by the UN Development Fund. "Generally speaking, females are better at communication than men, and a lot of women display more rational thinking than their gender counterparts," said Shi Qinggi, vice director of China's Association of Female Entrepreneurs. According to the survey, Chinese business-woman can also be extremely hardworking, in some cases clocking up 17 hours of work a day. The agency did not say when the survey was conducted and did not give the number of participants.

■ Real estate
French firm wins HK deal
Hong Kong authorities yesterday formally unveiled details of a joint venture with French contractor Dragages et Travaux to build a US$500 million exhibition center at the city's international airport. Under the project, the Hong Kong Government and the consortium led by Dragages will put up the construction cost of the International Exhibition Center (IEC), while Hong Kong's Airport Authority will contribute land. A soft opening of the 17-hectare center will take place by 2005 and the facility is expected to be fully operational by early 2006. The center will also be able to host concerts, carnivals and sports events. Dragages has already built a raft of facilities at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport, including the office, hotel and flight training complex for Cathay Pacific Airways.