Internet TV is fast becoming the flavor of the day for China’s leading Internet and gadget companies, with word that e-commerce giant Alibaba has now entered the field through a new tie-up with TV maker Skyworth (HKEx: 751). The news comes just a week after online search leader Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) announced its own similar tie-up with TCL Multimedia (HKEx: 1070), another leading TV maker, and following other similar recent product roll-outs by names like smartphone maker Xiaomi, video content provider LeTV (Shenzhen: 300104) and PC giant Lenovo (HKEx: 992). Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on September 12. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Suning (Shenzhen: 002024) Launches Open Platform On E-Commerce Site (Chinese article)
Foreign Banks Vie For Place In New Shanghai Free Trade Zone (Chinese article)
Huawei Sees Annual Growth Rate Reaching 10 Pct For Next 5 Years (Chinese article)
ReneSola (NYSE: SOL) Announces Pricing of $70 Mln Offering (PRNewswire)
Western Union (NYSE: WU) Significantly Grows Its Reach in China (Businesswire)
There’s an interesting report out saying that up-and-coming smartphone maker Xiaomi is developing its own mobile operating system (OS), becoming the latest Chinese player to try to muscle in on a market now dominated by 3 US companies — Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT). I’ll admit there have been so many similar initiatives by both Chinese hardware and Internet companies these days that it’s hard to know which of the campaigns are genuinely new systems and which are just variants of Google’s popular and free Android OS. Read Full Post…
It’s been nearly a year since makers of the traditional Chinese liquor called baijiu were hit by a double-whammy created by a food safety scandal and a Beijing crackdown on lavish government spending, sending the sector into a prolonged winter. Media are focusing on this one-year anniversary to chart the recent woes of top names like Moutai (Shanghai: 600519) and Wuliangye (Shenzhen: 000858) and talk about what they can do to turn things around. My view is that these companies are in dire need of an image makeover, which should include development of newer, lower alcohol products and major marketing campaigns targeting a generation of younger professionals in major cities. Read Full Post…
Local media are buzzing with word that China’s telecoms regulator has just approved 4 smartphones for use on the nation’s upcoming 4G networks, implying the long-awaited issue of 4G licenses could be imminent. But equally interesting is a separate report that says the number of newly approved phones is actually 5, and that the fifth phone was a version of Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) new iPhone 5S that can operate on networks using a homegrown Chinese technology called TD. That report says Apple requested its iPhone approval be kept secret; but if true, it means we could soon see announcement of a long-awaited tie-up between the US tech giant and leading Chinese mobile carrier China Mobile (HKEx: 941; NYSE: CHL). Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on September 11. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Unveils iPhone 5S and 5C, To Come To China Sept 20 (Chinese article)
Skyworth (HKEx: 751) Joins With Alibaba In New Brand Kukai TVs (HKEx: 751) (Chinese article)
DreamWorks Animation (NYSE: DWA) is dropping the “animation” part of its name in its year-old China joint venture, with word of a major new expansion that underscores the Chinese film market’s growing clout. Word of the expansion comes as Wang Jianlin, China’s newly named richest man, also makes a big bet on Hollywood, with his multiple investments in movie theaters and related technology via has Wanda Group empire. DreamWorks and Wang are both chasing a Chinese film market that is growing at breakneck pack, and is now the world’s second largest after only the US. DreamWorks is also setting its sights on China’s rapidly transforming TV market, where the Internet and other new delivery channels look set to shake up the traditionally slow-moving sector. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on September 10. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Xiaomi Turns Profitable, No IPO In Next 5 Years – Executive (Chinese article)
MIIT Approves 4 TD-LTE Smartphones, Observers See 4G Licenses Near (Chinese article)
Oriental DreamWorks (NYSE: DWA) Rewrites Its China Production Strategy (English article)
Baidu’s (Nasdaq: BIDU) Qunar To Make IPO As Early As Q4 – Sources (Chinese article)
SCA (Stockholm: SCAA) To Bid For Control Of Chinese Tissue Maker Vinda (HKEx: 3331)
Zhejiang man penalized for faking marriage to buy home
This week’s Street View shines a spotlight on Shanghai’s hyperactive real estate market, centered on the tale of an unlucky out-of-towner who got caught faking a marriage just so he could buy an apartment in the city. The story is at once humorous but also a little sad, as it exposes how ridiculous Shanghai’s real estate market has become. It also highlights some of the tactics the city has taken to try to cool the market, sometimes resorting to measures that seem both strange and unfair. Read Full Post…
I have to commend the Obama administration for approving the sale of leading US pork processor Smithfield (NYSE: SFD) to China’s Shuanghui, rather than succumbing to pressure from US politicians who opposed the deal. Washington regulators who were reviewing the deal for national security issues quietly approved the sale just before the weekend, providing a nice gift for Shuanghui for the upcoming Mid-Autumn and Chinese National Day holidays. (English article) But more importantly, approval of the deal sends an important message that the US wants to promote fair and free trade with China, and won’t play the kinds of political tit-for-tat games that often happen during trade disputes. Read Full Post…
China will reach an important milestone in the week ahead when it becomes included for the first time in the global launch for Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) newest smartphone, the iPhone 5S. The move reflects the growing importance of China to Apple, which now counts the market as its second largest. China’s inclusion in the global launch also reflects an effort by Apple to try and win back local consumers, many of whom have recently abandoned the US tech giant due to long waits to get the latest iPhones and a series of negative media reports. Read Full Post…
