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Asian markets rose Tuesday. In Hong Kong the Hang Seng Index advanced 0.5% to 23,431 and in China the Shanghai Composite Index inched up 0.1% to 2,927. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.2% to end the day at 10,317.

A building boom -- and the constrained supply of materials due to mandated energy cuts -- sent Chinese cement, metal and building-equipment stocks up Thursday. Meanwhile, Hong Kong and Japanese exporters benefited from improving consumer sentiment and falling unemployment in the U.S.

Steve Jurvetson is the youthful partner at famed venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson. He is among the most respected VCs in Silicon Valley, with a string of successful investments under his belt, including Hotmail (acquired by Microsoft, MSFT) and Interwoven (IPO, then acquired by...