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[China] Wage increases are threatening China's competitiveness, but improved productivity and other advantages mean it will continue to attract investors, analyst said. China will no longer be a competitive place for production, given the strong rise in the cost of production, the bank said. BCG(Boston Consulting Group) said US technology giant NCR has moved its manufacturing of ATMs to a factory in Columbus, Georgia, that will employ 870 workers as of  2014 - an example of major manufacturers leaving China. Adidas announced recently that it would close its only directly owned factory in China, becoming the latest major brand to move its manufacturing to cheaper countries, though it maintains a network of 300 Chinese contractors. However, not all economists believe China will lost its manufacturing edge, due partly to improvements in productivity. "Most of the increase in wage have been offset by strong productivity growth", said Mr. Louis Kuijs, project direct...

[Japan]     Nine japan private companies are now working on the smart city plan which will build solar systems and battery storage technology inside all houses and town facilities on Tokyo outskirts.     The plan "Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town", or "Fujisawa SST", organized by Japanese electronics giant Panasonic cooperation, for example, unveiled last May and catered for 1,000 households or a population of 3,000, and is based on a collection of sustainability solutions, such as energy-saving technology, solar power systems, and Ene-Farm fuel cells (a household fuel cell jointly developed by Panasonic and Tokyo gas. This fuel cell is powered by oxygen from the atmosphere combined with hydrogen from a small amount of natural gas and product heat.), called Eco-idea.    Japan has experienced multiple energy crises, in addition to physical damage to its infrastructure, as a result of the disasters. An aftershock last April also halted 5 of the region's fue...