30/01/2017 Asia Business Report

More than 800,000 people have signed an on-line petition

against Donald Trump making a state visit to the UK.

The petition will be considered for debate by MPs in Parliament

Now on BBC News, all the latest business news live from Singapore.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin speak. Are we about to see big

changes in US- Russian business negotiations? And fashion. What

leads some Asian parents to spend thousands! Good morning, Asia.

Hello, world. Welcome to Asia Business Report. It's a Monday. US

President Donald Trump's immigration policy has nominated the headlines

this weekend. But he also had a phone conversation with the Russian

president, Vladimir Putin, aimed at clawing the frosty relationship. --

thrawing. They did not discuss lifting sanctions, apparently.

Earlier, I spoke with someone to see if the sanctions have had a major

impact on Russia. International trade has dropped down from 25%.

That is like $136 billion, quite damaging. As a result of the

sanctions, has this drawn Russia into the arms of other trading

nations like China and countries here in Asia, for example? With

China, it is actually a very big front for international trade. Over

90 billion US dollars in trade and import. The US was one of our main

trade partners for the last four years. In general, with the trade

with Russia and the US, it is about 4.4% from all over international

trade. Very quickly, going forward, with, obviously, the new leadership

in charge in the US, do you see trade relations improving

potentially? Well, it is very early to do any forecast. Donald Trump is

unique and just got him the presidency. But from what I can see,

Donald Trump is not afraid to do unpopular things. He does not care

so much about being unpopular. That is why I would not be surprised if

you cancel the sanctions. Donald Trump, he was in business all his

life. -- if he cancelled the sanctions. I think he will do lots

of things beneficial for America and trade and moneymaking. I think he

will be good. Speaking to me earlier. Japanese retail sales have

increased for the second month in a row. That is a sign that consumer

spending is finally looking up. It rose at .6% last month compared to

the previous year. That follows a 1.7% increase in November, the first

rise in nine months. E-commerce giant Amazon end has been growing.

It poured $2 billion in. It has announced another $3 billion for

expansion in India. We sat down with Amazon and asked about the company's

performance. We have grown year over year. Just last January we maintain

the growth rates. That compares to mostly flat landscapes. Isn't it

true that a lot of your growth has come at the expense of your rivals

here? E-commerce companies, are they overestimate in the Indian market?

It cannot be just at the expense of others. If you look at the value,

for example, this season, we saw 97% of India using Amazon, tremendous

penetration in three years. We are growing 100% year over year. You

cannot achieve this with a very large base, so the landscape is

growing. What challenges to you face in a country like India? The

challenges would be the same challenges that e-commerce has as

you expand your landscape. How do you power small and medium salaries

and businesses? How do you build a logistics network that can reach

around the country and provide fast service? How do you deal with mobile

phones being the primary access point for consumers? What about

infrastructure, how do you build it? Where does your huge investment

focus on? Where will you focus money on? Every time we have cellars,

costs goes down and sales go up. We use the network so that speed of

delivery goes up. All of this results in lower prices. If you look

at logistics, we have more than 27 centres in 10-13 states. All of this

requires investment. The head of Amazon India. Most parents want

their children to be dressed well when they go out, but would you pay

thousands of dollars to keep your toddler in designer outfits? Would

you buy them diamond encrusted handbag is? As part of a new series,

The Business of Kids, we found out that brand conscious parents with

money, it seems to be all of the rage in again. MUSIC. Asia, the

fastest growing market for children's clothes. Especially for

designer brands. At this upscale shopping centre in Singapore, the

number of children's shops have boomed. And the focus is definitely

on the high-end. Here at Baby Dior, it is wall-to-wall luxury for

children. A lace headband for a three-year-old at 500 US dollars. Do

you need a handbag for your daughter to match yours? These are priced at

around $3500. And for the dad, there is this Kashmir jacket. And matching

pants for $300. All inspired by the men's collection. But image can be

as important to style. In Asia, parents often see their children as

a reflection of themselves, the reflection of their taste and social

status. In Asia, success often translates to being rich. So wealthy

parents in Asia want to dress their children but curiously. Smaller

families are feeling the demand for luxury childrenswear. -- luxiously.

I want to buy them good clothes because they look good. So we buy,

of course, Dior. The barrage of coverage also has a big influence.

One of the biggest things is social media. It is a good way to show your

peers what you just got for your baby. The latest handbag for your

daughter. Industry watches say the next big thing will be comfortable

and organic clothing. The look may be less ostentatious, but you can be

sure that prices will not be any cheaper. Sarah, BBC News, Singapore.

A greeting to millions across the world are celebrating the Chinese

Lunar New Year. The Year of the Rooster is going to ruffle a few

feathers. The CSLA has a forecast for the Hang Seng Index based on

astronomy. I spoke to an analyst from CSLA to see how accurate it has

been. Of course, it is purely for alternative referencing, just for

fun. But if you look at the first year of our forecast, it was the

Monkey Year, and we correctly forecast it. Go on, I am an Ox. Tell

me what kind of year I will have an potentially the rest of our viewers

will have. Will we be financially lucky? Those who will be financially

lucky are big, well, the t, lucky you. -- the. And the Horse and

Snake, as well as the Ox. You also have forecasting that is not good

for the likes of the Goat, for instance. It says it is a tough year

for them. Is there anything investors can do to change their

luck? Of course. Besides looking at the tracking of the Hang Seng Index

forecast, wearing bright colours, like yellow and red, and two and

number four. Generally, the outlook for this year is good or bad,

according to the Rooster? It is a good year for the Hang Seng Index.

It is driving up the share price upward in June and July and a bit of

downward movement towards the end of the year. Overall, a good year for

investing. Let us take a look and see if those predictions are coming

through with the market today. The Nikkei is down 1%. Australia's All

Ords Index is down 1% as well. The Hang Seng Index is unchanged. That

is over Donald Trump's fairly inconsistent and unpredictable

policies, say many analysts. Toshiba shares are falling as well. That is

it for this Asia Business Report. Thank you for