BizChina

The Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group said on Monday that it plans to launch two or three new tablet computers later this year, accelerating its pace to catch up with Apple Inc's latest iPad 2.

Chen Xudong, vice-president of the world's fourth-largest PC vendor by market share, told China Daily that Lenovo plans to launch a new tablet computer for corporate users over the next two quarters. It will also launch the second version of its tablet computer, LePad, in the fourth quarter of this year.

"Like personal computers, different users will have different demands for tablet computers," said Chen Xudong, who is also the general manager of Lenovo's China business.

He said the country's biggest computer maker will adopt a "multi-model" strategy in its battle with Apple in the tablet computer market.

Lenovo on Monday launched its first tablet computer LePad, which is based on the Android 2.2 operating system. The product, starting at 3,499 yuan ($533), comes in two versions that support Wifi and 3G services.

With its steaming economy and surging ranks of billionaires, China has become the fastest-growing market for Airbus' private jet business, with at least 25 corporate jets to be sold in the next five years.

"The demand for corporate jets is already very high, and the government is more supportive of corporate aviation," Francois Chazelle, vice-president of worldwide sales at Europe's Airbus Corporate Jets, said at a news conference on Monday.

A flight attendant in an Airbus A318 Elite business jet on display at the Business Aviation Center during the Asian Aerospace International Expo and Congress in Hong Kong on March 9.

Eric Chen, senior vice-president of Airbus China, added: "Five aircraft a year is a conservative figure. We have already sold two in the first quarter of this year in China."

Shenyang Yuanda Aluminium Industry Engineering Co. is planning to seek listing approval from the Hong Kong stock exchange's listing committee April 7 for its planned US$400 million-US$500 million Hong Kong initial public offering, a person familiar with the situation said Monday.

The listing plan of the Chinese company comes as Tokyo-listed SBI Holdings Inc. is seeking to raise up to US$328 million in an IPO before listing in Hong Kong on April 14, according to a term sheet seen by The Wall Street Journal on Monday, in the first listing by a Japanese company in Hong Kong.

Yuanda Aluminium, established in 1993, makes curtain walls, a type of outer covering for buildings,as well as metal roofs, shading systems and glass skylights.

The company, which has a total annual production capability of 12 million square meters, built the membrane structure for China's National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, and the National Olympic Swimming Center in Beijing, and has international branches in more than a dozen countries.

Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd, the developer controlled by Hong Kong's richest man, Li Ka-shing, may turn to its Hutchison Whampoa Ltd unit for growth this year as government curbs slow gains in property sales.

The world's second-biggest developer by market value is expected to say 2010 underlying profit rose 25 percent to HK$19.2 billion ($2.46 billion) on higher sales before the curbs, according to the average estimate of 12 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Hutchison's earnings are expected to rise 15 percent to HK$15 billion, based on the average of 11 analysts.

Li, nicknamed "superman" by the local media for his investing prowess, is expected to tap Hutchison's industries ranging from utilities and mobile phone networks to oil in 52 countries and regions after Hong Kong stepped up property measures in November to ease speculation in a city where housing prices have risen more than 65 percent since the start of 2009. Cheung Kong sold about HK$30 billion worth of apartments last year, according to Bank of America Corp's Merrill Lynch & Co unit.