Class actions against the world's largest corporate auditing firms are spreading globally as governments bolster investor protection laws in countries where the Big Four firms have previously not faced substantial legal risks.

The ongoing solar trade war promises an order bonanza for Taiwan, say Swetha Gopinath and Clare Jim

China’s recent approval of several infrastructure projects has highlighted its growing intent to boost economic growth through public infrastructure spending. To help raise funds, Beijing also plans to implement sweeping bond market reforms. Large state-owned businesses stand ready to benefit, but risks and concerns remain. Kanishk Verghese reports Additional reporting by Liu Zhen at ALB, and Nick Edwards and Benjamin Kang Lim at Reuters

In conversation with Liam Madden, Head of Legal and Compliance, Asia-Pacific, Instinet, Hong Kong

The China MediaExpress case has highlighted once again the value of the former British colony, and current Chinese SAR, as a seat of arbitration for mainland-related disputes, writes Ranajit Dam

Caterpillar’s uncovering of widespread misconduct at the subsidiary of a Chinese company it acquired last summer has raised thorny questions for U.S. companies looking to grow their business in that country, says Ernest Scheyder of Reuters. Additional reporting by Liu Zhen

Property prices pose the biggest risk to the stability of Hong Kong’s economy, says James Pomfret of Reuters

The beginning of 2013 saw China's stocks rise to record highs after the securities regulator announced that the nation can increase 10 times the size of its investment programme that allows foreign investors to buy securities. Broadening the range of instruments available to foreign institutions, the regulator announced that five firms, including Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley, are now approved to trade on the China Financial Futures Exchange. Seher Hussain investigates what the expansion of the QFII programme means for the marketplace.

China’s property market is rife with speculation - both about rising house prices and about what the new government may do to curb them once it takes office, find Langi Chiang and Nick Edwards of Reuters

All eyes are on Asia as the hotel and resorts industry stays strong into 2013. Emerging markets Sri Lanka and Myanmar are inciting fierce competition from developers, while China and Indonesia remain robust investment destinations. Seher Hussain investigates the state of play within the hospitality industry across Asia.