Printer Friendly

Highlights of the February 20, 2006 Asia Issue of FORTUNE

China's African Safari, by Vivienne Walt, page 68
The world's second-largest energy consumer, China now imports about 28% of its oil and gas from sub-Saharan Africa, compared with about 15% for the U.S. Washington is hoping to boost that figure#151;to lessen dependence on the Persian Gulf#151;which puts it in a head-on battle with China. In this heated race, the Chinese are everywhere, despite unrest that has prompted others to pull out. And as Vivienne Walt reports, African governments view China as a more cooperative partner than the West.

INVESTING SPECIAL REPORT
Who Wants to Be the Boss?, by Geoffrey Colvin, page 52
The toughest jobs in the business world today are held by CEOs who must deal with profound issues related to some of the most important trends in the world economy. Because the stocks of these companies are all widely held, their fate has huge implications for financial markets. Geoffrey Colvin demonstrates how the job of CEO must change as the world economy goes through an epochal transformation on the scale of the industrial revolution.

Ten On the Spot, by Jon Birger and David Stires, page 57
FORTUNE profiles ten CEOs who face Herculean challenges and looks at what lies ahead for their companies and their stocks. The CEOs include Charles Prince, Citigroup; Neville Isdell, Coca-Cola; Paul Pressler, GAP; Richard Clark, Merck; Steve Ballmer, Microsoft; John Mack, Morgan Stanley; Mark Parker, Nike; Howard Stringer, Sony; Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon; and Lee Scott, Wal-Mart.

Fear of Falling, by Ellen Florian Kratz, page 76
The debate about whether there is a real estate bubble has been raging for years. FORTUNE looks at the 100 largest metropolitan regions in the country to see which are hot and which are not. No. 1? San Antonio; two of the three hottest markets are in Texas. Dead last: Las Vegas, which is expected to see a 13% price decline in the next two years, the worst among the surveyed markets. Other news: seven of the ten coldest home markets projected next year are in California.

Deadly Caution, by Clifton Leaf, page 74
Though drug recalls and black-box warnings might lead one to conclude the drug-approval process is flawed, the real problems may be due to something entirely different. The process "is in thrall to a well-intentioned but ultimately misguided national obsession: the quest for certainty about drug safety and efficacy," reports Clifton Leaf. "And in fact, scores of interviews with scientists, regulators, industry officials, patients, and policymakers over the past four months suggest that's the case—that our regulators have fallen prey to a deadly caution. Simply put, the need for certainty in drug approval is killing people."

DEPARTMENTS
In FIRST: The Man Who Fell to Earth
The arrest of highflying Internet mogul Takafumi Horie has made him Exhibit A in Japan's case against American-style capitalism. Check, Please Going a long way to collect a debt. His country may be war-torn, bankrupt, and mired in poverty, but that didn't stop Republic of the Congo President from racking up an $81,706 bill for a week at New York City's Palace hotel while in town for the UN. Face-Off Mittal versus U.S. Steel. The Apple of Jobs' Eye Jobs has no designs on Disney's top spot. A $1.9 Billion Windfall-Tax Free Thailand's Thaksin is in hot water. The World at Risk February's hot spots and fault lines. Enron Diary It's going to be a long, strange trial. Then and Now A reunion of Sun's founders. Picture This China's ice sculpture festival is a coup de glace. In COLUMNISTS: This Just In The sleep industry has never been so perky. Global Economy Russia doesn't belong in the same league as Brazil, India, and China. In BUSINESS LIFE: Mile High Clubs FORTUNE jumps the lift line to look at private ski lodges. Gadgets iRobot's Scooba lets you keep up with the Jetsons.

FORTUNE, part of Time Inc., is the global leader in business, known for its unrivalled access to industry leaders and decision-makers throughout the world. FORTUNE's Asia edition, based in Hong Kong, is dedicated to covering Asian business from a trademark global perspective. With an Asian circulation of 85,000 and a worldwide circulation of 1,020,000, FORTUNE is one of the fastest growing magazines in the world. Founded in 1930, FORTUNE has grown to a worldwide circulation of over one million and a readership in excess of five million.

For further information please contact:
Azmar Sukandar
Senior Public Affairs Manager
FORTUNE Asia
T: + 852 3128 5185
Email: azmar_sukandar@timeinc.com

Back to index