Topic 1:

Stocks in the United States, Europe, China and Japan all plunged on Thursday as investors fretted over the US Federal Reserve's plan to begin reducing its stimulus later this year if the economy strengthens. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday said the central bank's policy of buying $85 billion in bonds per month could start to wind down this year if the economy is strong enough and could finish in mid-2014.

Xishuaicheng: Is the Federal Reserve's move a signal the US economy is stabilizing? The dollar's value is on a rising trend and I expect the price of gold to drop.

Shell: When the Fed sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold.

OK888: When the Federal Reserve rolled out the quantitative easing policy, A shares did not rally. Why did they plunge when the Fed said it might exit? How foolish of China's investors!

Shenxiankanpan: Bernanke's words imposed a death sentence on stock markets all over the world. They also imposed a death sentence on the bubble in emerging markets. It's time to monitor the property market to see how it will be affected.

Topic 2:

China Mengniu Dairy Co Ltd signed a second takeover deal in a month on Tuesday, offering to buy Carlyle-backed Yashili International Holdings Ltd in a deal worth about HK$12.5 billion ($1.6 billion) as part of a plan to expand its milk powder business.

Qiushuigange: The takeover is indeed an effective way to address Mengniu's weakness in the milk powder sector.

HuaidaoV: How unfortunate! There is now another brand that we dare not buy.

Kongmingzhongda: Chinese customers' dismissive sentiments toward domestic milk brands is deeply rooted and sometimes even irrational. Every time I hear the name Mengniu I feel sick. Is it because of disgust with State-owned enterprises?

Dreameryh123: A company with a backward operational system bought a company with a potentially advanced operational system. I think the outcome is guessable.

All the information came from Sina Weibo.

(China Daily USA 06/24/2013 page15)