Chinese appetite for foreign food companies looks set to accelerate this year, with word that steamed bun giant Goubuli is nearing a deal to buy a major US coffee chain. The deal would mark the extension of a recent buying binge by Chinese food makers of overseas assets, including Shuanghui’s landmark $4.7 billion purchase of US pork products giant Smithfield last year. This latest deal is slightly different from the earlier ones because it involves a restaurant chain rather than a consumer products company, hinting at a new direction for China’s recent food-buying frenzy. Read Full Post…
New signals from Beijing hint at a problem I’ve talked about for the last 2 months as China embarks on a major solar energy program, namely that many new plants being built could become useless white elephants. Potential for such a problem is very real, and could end up not only costing enthusiastic builders of new power plants billions of dollars in wasted funds, but could also leave solar panel makers themselves with huge amounts of unpaid bills. Meantime, the latest signals from Suntech (NYSE: STPFQ) and LDK (NYSE: LDK) indicate these 2 former giants are nearing the end of their lives, as each looks set to disappear in an ongoing industry consolidation. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on January 10. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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China Mobile To Sell iPhone Next Week, Unicom, China Telecom Cut Prices (Chinese article)
Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) CEO Says Still In Dark On China Antitrust Probe (English article)
Zhou Weiping Resigns As Interim CEO, CFO Of Suntech (NYSE: STPFQ) (PRNewswire)
Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) Denies In Talks To Sell Stake To Alibaba (Chinese article)
LDK (NYSE: LDK) Enters Further Forbearance Arrangement With Noteholders (PRNewswire)
China’s top 2 Internet companies are starting to look increasingly alike, with the latest word that leading e-commerce company Alibaba is challenging social networking (SNS) rival Tencent (HKEx: 700) in the mobile gaming space. Alibaba’s move is just the latest into a new area for this hyperactive company, which spent much of 2013 in a series of major business initiatives and acquisitions as it prepares for a blockbuster IPO. In separate but similar news, media are reporting that Alibaba may be in talks to buy a stake in software security specialist and fast-rising search firm Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU), though I have my doubts about that particular rumor. Read Full Post…
I don’t usually have much praise these days for China Mobile (HKEx: 941; NYSE: CHL), which emerged as the world’s biggest crybaby last year after a high-profile spat with leading Internet firm Tencent (HKEx: 700) involving the latter’s popular WeChat mobile instant messaging service. But perhaps the world’s biggest mobile carrier is trying to put its crying in the past and start a new chapter in 2014 by innovating rather than complaining, which looks like the case with a lucrative and fast-growing tie-up with leading online video firm Youku Tudou (NYSE: YOKU). Read Full Post…
It’s the time of year when we get to see where gadget makers are placing their future bets, as they strut their newest wares at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s biggest show of its kind. This year all of China’s “big 3” smartphone aspirants are at the show in Las Vegas, with Huawei, ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063) and Lenovo (HKEx: 992) each focusing on different areas for future development. Interestingly, I couldn’t find any official mention of attendance at the event by fast-rising smartphone maker Xiaomi, even as it gets ready to embark on a global expansion in 2014. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on January 9. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Alibaba in Talks to Invest in Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU) – Sources (English article)
Youku Tudou, China Mobile Video Contest Generates More Than 100 Mln Yuan (PRNewswire)
US Pressures South Korean Telcos To End Huawei Cooperation (Chinese article)
ZTE (HKEx: 763) Names New Global Head of Mobile Devices, Amid Consumer Focus (Businesswire)
Coolpad Rolls Out Online Phone Brand, Targets 10 Bln Yuan In First Year Sales (Chinese article)
Executives from China’s top consumer electronics makers are laying out their road maps for 2014 at the world’s top trade show happening this week in Las Vegas, with leading PC maker Lenovo (HKEx: 992) detailing a conservative but smart looking plan to build up its smartphone business in the Americas. The plan was detailed by Lenovo’s Americas head, and will see the company target developing markets in Latin America first before gradually moving to the highly competitive US. Read Full Post…
More bright signs are emerging in the solar panel sector with word of 2 major new tie-ups, one involving ReneSola (NYSE: SOL) in Japan and the other Yingli (NYSE: YGE) in China. In the first, ReneSola has signed a massive deal to sell panels to a Japanese solar power plant developer. The latter case looks similar, with Yingli in its own deal for a major joint venture to co-develop new solar power plants with one of China’s top nuclear power companies. Read Full Post…
Just a week after I speculated that a tie-up could be coming between e-commerce sites Jingdong and Dangdang (NYSE: DANG), a new report is saying a similar partnership could be forming between Jingding and leading Internet firm Tencent (HKEx: 700). Sourcing for this latest report isn’t too solid, so I’m far from certain that these talks are really happening. But regardless of the actual situation, the news highlights the fact that the highly competitive e-commerce sector is sorely in need of consolidation and that whoever makes the first moves could have the best chances of long-term survival. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on January 8. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Tencent (HKEx: 700) In Talks To Invest In Jingdong – Source (English article)
Yingli (NYSE: YGE), China National Nuclear Corp In Solar Projects JV (PRNewswire)
Lenovo (HKEx: 992) To Gradually Enter US Smartphone Market – Americas Chief (Chinese article)
Alibaba, Suning Chances Good For 1st Round Of Private Bank Licenses (Chinese article)
China Suspends Ban On Video Game Consoles After More Than A Decade (English article)
