By SARAH SKIDMORE AND JOE MCDONALD
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Beijing Olympics are less than a year away and one of the hottest races shaping up is not among the athletes, but the companies that outfit them.

China is one of the largest emerging markets and a top focus for shoemakers fighting for market share. And as the 2008 Beijing Olympics approach, the intensity is reaching a new high.

"The Beijing 2008 Games are set to be the greatest sporting event in modern Chinese history," said Paul Pi, head of marketing for Adidas in greater China.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Demand for LCD TVs is likely to rise to a fever pitch next year as consumers across the world upgrade their televisions to enjoy the Beijing Olympics games, according to market research firm iSuppli Corp.

In 2008, global shipments of LCD TV panels are expected to rise to 102.5 million units, up 27 percent from 2007, marking the first time shipments have surpassed the 100 million mark, iSuppli said in a statement seen by Reuters on Saturday.

BEIJING (AFP) — There was no champagne, no music, and just a few young women in traditional dresses.

The low-key ceremony that marked the launch of China Investment Corp. this weekend could reflect the cautious manner in which Beijing intends to unleash the largest fund in history onto the world's financial markets.

The much-anticipated corporation will be in charge of 200 billion dollars -- nearly one-sixth the nation's enormous forex reserves -- but it will not flaunt its wealth, observers said.