"Our deep-rooted connection with China is a heritage that we have always treasured and this sense of alignment has increased since we became a Hong Kong-headquartered and independently listed company in 2010."

MARK TUCKER, group chief executive and president of AIA, explaining that while most people would consider AIA an American company, he strongly disagrees.

"The price-driven gold surge hit a record high last year, but it cannot reflect the average level."

ALBERT CHENG, managing director for the Far East at the World Gold Council, calling the slump in demand for gold in China a result of a retreat to "rational consumption", especially after President Xi Jinping stressed the need for a "new normal" in the pace of economic growth.

"As the Chinese economy continues its transformation from a manufacturing base to a more consumption-driven market, companies will remain conservatively positive in their expansion plans."

Arthur Wang, China managing director of Robert Walters, the international recruitment consultancy. He said there has been a strong demand for talent in inland cities and western China, as companies shifted their investment to those regions in order to lower operating costs.

(China Daily European Weekly 11/21/2014 page18)