Gap's China president, Jeff Kirwan, said the company is optimistic about growth in China, as Chinese consumers are eager to learn about global brands and have a strong appetite for American style.

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But he said whatever happened in the coming years, and of course there would be setbacks, he was optimistic about his own and China's future.

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Both are nonetheless optimistic about the future of China's music scene.

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Xu Xin, president of Deer Jet, a subsidiary of the Hainan Airlines Group, told China Daily that he is very optimistic about the Chinese business aviation market due to the increasing number of rich people in China and their willingness to spend more on business jets.

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"I'm cautiously optimistic about the fact that we're beginning to see green shoots in China, " Mr Albanese said.

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Last week China posted weak manufacturing reports, and analysts aren't optimistic about upcoming data.

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Some, though, remain hopeful that Doha can see a "big-bang" moment, pointing to the fact that the new leadership in China and the re-elected President Obama are both making optimistic noises about climate.

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