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Latest News of Google in China, overview of the Business expert on Chinese market Doug Young

China Approves Google’s Motorola Buy 中国批准谷歌收购摩托罗拉

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I have to admit that perhaps I was wrong in my initial skepticism about Beijing’s motivations in repeatedly delaying approval for Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) purchase of Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI), speculating that its foot-dragging might have been motivated by political factors. (previous post) But now that the anti-monopoly regulator has finally approved the deal, I feel like I should actually congratulate it for addressing an important concern that was probably the real source of the delays, namely the potential that Google might give Motorola phones preferential treatment for its Android smartphone operating system at the expense of other major handset makers who also rely heavily on the popular OS. The long-awaited approval, which was delaying closure of a $12.5 billion deal first announced last August, finally came after Google agreed to conditions required by the Chinese regulator aimed at making sure that Android remains open and free to everyone, and that Google treats all cellphone makers who chose to use the operating system equally. (English article) I’ll be the first to admit that my first reaction to most actions by China’s anti-monopoly regulator is one of skepticism, since it has a history of allowing political considerations into its decisions that are largely unrelated to its main mission of ensuring that major M&A deals don’t harm market competition. The regulator’s bias was on glaring display in 2009, when it vetoed Coca Cola’s (NYSE: KU) plan to buy leading domestic juice maker Huiyuan (HKEx: 1886), citing monopolistic concerns even though most observers believed that Beijing simply didn’t want to see the promising domestic brand swallowed up by a foreign company. The regulator seemed to be changing its ways last year when it approved the purchase of another promising Chinese brand by a foreign name, in this case allowing Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM), operator of the KFC and Pizza Hut chains, to buy Little Sheep, operator of China’s largest hot pot restaurant chain. (previous post) The delays behind this latest approval of Google’s purchase of Motorola look like a smart move to me, aimed at addressing the very real concern by many of Android’s users that they might lose access to the OS if Google gives preferential treatment to Motorola. The major regulators in the US and Europe were unlikely to focus on this particular concern, since most of the major cellphone makers that use Android are based in Asia, such as Taiwan’s HTC (Taipei: 2498) and Korea’s Samsung (Seoul: 005930). A growing number of Android users are also in China, most notably Huawei and ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063), which are 2 of the world’s fastest growing players in the smartphone space. Thus the regulator was clearly addressing very real concerns from these and other domestic smartphone makers about becoming second-class Android citizens after a Google-Motorola merger, hence the regulator’s decision to impose its conditions. At the end of the day I’m quite encouraged by this action, and increasingly confident that we’ll see more decisions from the regulator based on market concerns rather than political considerations.

Bottom line: China’s long-delayed approval of Google’s Motorola purchase was due to real anti-competitive concerns, and reflects growing maturity at the Chinese regulator.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Huawei-Motorola Rumors Look Logical 华为收购摩托罗拉手机业务传言看似合情合理

◙ Google Tussles With China on Motorola 延迟批准摩托罗拉移动交易 中国政府对谷歌仍心存芥蒂

◙ Little Sheep Gets Swallowed: Good for Yum, Good for China M&A 小肥羊被收购对百胜和中国是双赢

News Digest: May 17, 2012 报摘： 2012年5月17日

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The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on May 17. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.

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◙ Tencent (HKEx: 700) to Restructure – Sources (English article); Gives Q1 Results (HKEx announcement)

◙ China Mobile (HKEx: 941) in Talks With Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) on iPhone Cooperation (English article)

◙ Ctrip (Nasdaq: CTRP) Reports Q1 Financial Results (PRNewswire)

◙ Ex-Google Chief Li Kaifu: Most Cellphones Developed by Internet Companies Will Fail (Chinese article)

◙ Lightspeed China Partners Invests in Tujia.com (Businesswire)

◙ Latest calendar for Q1 earnings reports (Earnings calendar)

Baidu Smartphones Set to Stumble 百度进军智能手机市场或以失败告终

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I don’t like to sound too negative for 2 days in a row, but one day after predicting failure for PC giant Lenovo’s (HKEx: 992) new smart TV initiative I have to give a similar forecast for the recent rush into smartphones by a growing number of Chinese Internet players, with search leader Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) leading the charge. Chinese media have been buzzing for the last few days about Baidu’s new offering, a low-end smartphone that runs on the company’s self-developed operating system and was co-developed with TV maker Changhong (Shanghai: 600839). (Chinese article; English article) Baidu’s move follows the announcement of similar self-developed smartphones from online game specialist Shanda and Internet security firm Qihoo 360 (NYSE: QIHU), and the latest reports that online game specialist NetEase (Nasdaq: NTES) may also be getting into the space. (English article) Let’s have a closer look at the Baidu smartphone initiative, as that one is the most advanced, following the previous roll-out of an original Baidu model that failed to gain much attention under a partnership with Dell (Nasdaq: DELL). This latest tie-up with Changhong differs from the Dell model in that it is significantly cheaper, costing just 899 yuan, or about $140. I’ve looked at pictures of the new phone, and while a photo doesn’t always tell the full story, the handset truly does look clunky and cheap. I’m a bit surprised that Baidu is partnering with such unexperienced companies, first with Dell and now Changhong, in this initiative that is no doubt costing a lot of money. Dell is more known for its computers than cellphones, though the 2 product types do share some similarities. Changhong is known almost exclusively for its TVs, which have almost nothing in common with smartphones. That said, I really don’t expect much if any success for this new Baidu-Changhong model, which will have to compete with much more attractive low-cost smartphones from fast-growing domestic firms ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063) and Huawei, which mostly use Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) popular and reliable Android operating system. In fact, Baidu’s initiative looks like an attempt to imitate Google with Android, acknowledging the increasing importance of the mobile Internet. I applaud Baidu for putting big resources into this important new area, but honestly believe its smartphone initiative is set for failure. If Baidu wants to increase its chances of success, it could start by partnering with a major smartphone maker rather than Changhong, though I suspect many such players would be reluctant to form such a tie-up. Meantime, I would make similar predictions for the other smartphone initiatives from Shanda, Qihoo and now NetEase. I’m not sure why all these companies are taking such steps, as the smartphone market is already quite crowded with much more experienced and resource-rich players like Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Samsung (Seoul: 005930). Perhaps all these companies just have too much money and are looking for a place to spend it.

Bottom line: Baidu’s smartphone initiative is likely to fail due to competition and inexperience, but could stand a better chance of success with better manufacturing partners.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Huawei Follows ZTE to Lower Profits 继中兴之后华为利润也降低

◙ ZTE Results: Waiting for Returns 中兴坚持低成本手机策略 亟需尽早盈利

◙ Nokia Bets on China Telecom 诺基亚联手中国电信

Lenovo’s TV Gamble: Failure Ahead? 联想电视赌注：未来会失败吗？

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I should credit leading PC maker Lenovo (HKEx: 992) for being ahead of the curve by releasing its new smart TV in China last week, getting a slight lead on a widely anticipated launch for by Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) for a similar new product group that could revolutionize the way people watch TV. (English article) Reviews are still few for Lenovo’s new product, a 55-inch TV called the K91; but based on its past track record as a company with limited capability in new product design, I would offer only a very small chance for this product to succeed, potentially costing Lenovo hundreds of millions of dollars in development and marketing costs. The reason for my pessimism is simple: Lenovo, a specialist in PCs for developing markets, has never shown any ability to be a leader in new product design, especially in areas where it has little or no experience. Its previous forays into cellphones, gaming consoles and tablet PCs have all been mostly flops, failing to generate any buzz or excitement after having to compete with better designed products from the likes of more innovative firms like Apple, Samsung (Seoul: 005930), Asustek (Taipei: 2357) and HTC (HKEx: 2498). Given that poor track record, I have little reason to believe this latest initiative will succeed either, especially since such smart TVs are a completely new category and thus there are few products out there to use as a guidebook into what works and what doesn’t for this area. I do at least have to give Lenovo credit for trying hard by buying state-of-the art technology for its first smart TV, with components coming from such top-end suppliers as chip designer Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM), audio technology firm DTS (Nasdaq: DTSI) and its operating system based on Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) popular Android platform. The company may also be making a smart choice by launching the product in its home China market, where it is the dominant PC brand and which accounts for around half of its sales. But its early launch even in China could mean very little if its product doesn’t contain content and functionality that ordinary consumers want. What’s more, competing products from Samsung and especially Apple are likely to hit the market in a matter of months, meaning Lenovo won’t have much of a head-start over these rivals whose products will no doubt contain more features and generate more buzz than the Lenovo TVs. Lenovo hasn’t said very much about response for the product in the week since its launch, saying only that performance has exceeded its expectations. (Chinese article) But considering its past track record, look for the K91 to post disappointing sales over the longer term, perhaps in the tens of thousands this year, and for this broader smart TV initiative to end up as a failure for Lenovo like many of its other new product initiatives.

Bottom line: Lenovo’s new smart TV initiative is likely to fail despite an early head-start over rivals in China, with products from foreign rivals likely to eventually dominate the market.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ NEC China Cellphones: New Lenovo Tie-Up? NEC计划重回中国手机市场 或与联想联姻

◙ Lenovo Completes Leadership Change, Yang Uninspired 联想完成高层调整，杨元庆难鼓舞人心

◙ Apple Feasts on China, Baidu Burps 苹果在华享受盛宴，百度盛宴停顿

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Facebook Keeps Calling on China Facebook继续推动进军中国市场

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Facebook may be making global headlines for its upcoming mega IPO, but the social networking giant is making much quieter headlines in China as well, where local media are saying it has been meeting with potential joint venture partners in its long-stated pursuit of entering the market. (English article) All this comes amid a broader opening up of China’s tightly controlled media space, which is also seeing the website of the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, roaring towards a landmark IPO that, not surprisingly, is seeing huge investor demand. Let’s look at the latest Facebook talk first, which has media saying founder Mark Zuckerberg has made a number of low-key recent trips to China to meet with potential joint venture partners. There’s no reason to believe the reports aren’t true, as Zuckerberg has been very open about wanting to enter China and has made a number of trips to the country. Those include an official visit in late 2010 where he reportedly met with a number of partners including search leader Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU), and another lower-profile visit just last month where he was spotted shopping in Shanghai in what was described as a personal visit. (previous post) My sources told me last year that Beijing had laid down a number of conditions that would make it difficult for Facebook to come to China, including requiring it to self-censor any China site it operated and also to make any information on the site available to the central government. (previous post) While such conditions looked like a deal killer at that time, Zuckerberg’s determination to enter the market, which includes a recent campaign to hire local Chinese engineers (previous post), seem to indicate he is willing to play by Chinese rules. I admire his determination, but should also point out that if and when Facebook ever does come to China, it will receive the same scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity that western organizations gave to Internet giants like Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) when they entered the market. Facebook will also face stiff competition from established players Renren (NYSE: RENN) and Kaixin, which dominate the market but are having more difficulty finding profits there. Given Zuckerberg’s determination, I would say that China will be one of his top priorities after the IPO, and I could see the company entering the market as soon as late this year. Meantime, the People’s Daily has put out its own self-congratulatory statement in the run-up to its domestic IPO, saying it has tripled the size of the original offering due to strong demand and will sell shares that value the company at an 18 percent premium to its peers. (English article) As I’ve said before, I expect this IPO to be a huge success due to strong support from cash-rich party members and their associates. The stock could also do well in the longer term due to its party connections, but I wouldn’t look for anything too exciting in terms of growth or business initiatives due to the company’s political nature.

Bottom line: The latest reports on Facebook’s China plans indicate the company is aggressively aiming to enter the market, with a potential new joint venture possible by the end of this year.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Facebook, NY Times Make New China Moves Facebook和纽约时报在华新动向

◙ Despite China Rebuff, Facebook Going Back for More Facebook明知山有虎，偏向虎山行

◙ Twitter Eyeing China? Twitter想进中国？

 

Huawei-Motorola Rumors Look Logical 华为收购摩托罗拉手机业务传言看似合情合理

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I was highly skeptical at first about a rumor that Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) might be in talks to sell its Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI) handset business to telecoms equipment and cellphone giant Huawei; but the more I think about it the more it makes sense, leading me to speculate that the rumor may actually be true. The source of all the buzz is actually quite small, namely a small mention at the very end of a Wall Street Journal article in which the author simply says that rumors are swirling that Google has already offered to sell its newly acquired Motorola handset business to Huawei, even though it also cites a person close to Google denying any such talks. But regardless of what people are saying, such a deal would make good sense for both Google and Huawei, and here’s why. For its part, Google is an Internet and media company first and foremost, and has little or no experience in the highly competitive and lower margin cellphone business. Most believe the only reason Google even purchased Motorola’s handset business at all was to get the company’s extensive patent portfolio, which it hoped to use in its legal battle with Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) involving Google’s Android cellphone operating system. From Huawei’s perspective, such a purchase would also look attractive since Huawei has made a recent major drive into handsets as it tries to diversify away from its traditional networking equipment business. Motorola would greatly help that drive, as the brand, while somewhat tarnished in recent years, is still globally recognized, and also has well-developed international sales and distribution channels that Huawei could instantly tap. (previous post) There’s one other factor as well that is less obvious but involves a complex history between Huawei and Motorola. The 2 companies previously collaborated in the networking equipment business many years ago, and that collaboration led Huawei to sue Motorola when the latter sold its networking equipment business last year to Nokia Siemens Networks. The pair eventually resolved the lawsuit, and, in a development that appeared to be related, China’s anti-monopoly regulator approved the Motorola sale to Nokia Siemens a short time later after a long unexplained delay. (previous post) The current talks, if they’re really happening, would share a number of similarities with the Nokia Siemens case, as both involve Motorola and Huawei. Furthermore, China’s anti-monopoly regulator has also delayed approving Google’s purchase of Motorola for unexplained reasons, holding up the deal that has cleared regulatory approval in all other major markets. (previous post) It’s difficult to know what’s happening behind the scenes, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Chinese regulator’s delays are somehow related to ongoing talks by Google for a sale of the handset business to Huawei. Of course something like that would never happen in the west, where regulators would never get involved in a deal between 2 private companies. But China isn’t the west, and so really anything is possible.

Bottom line: A rumor that Huawei is in talks to buy the Motorola handset business from Google could well be true, as such a deal would make good sense for both companies.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Google Tussles With China on Motorola 延迟批准摩托罗拉移动交易 中国政府对谷歌仍心存芥蒂

◙ Huawei Discovers Cellphones 华为手机要向世界前三进军

◙ Troublesome Timing As China Approves NSN-Motorola 中国监管部门批准诺基亚西门子购买摩托罗拉网络业务时机不佳

News Digest: April 13, 2012 报摘： 2012年4月13日

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The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on April 12. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.

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◙ Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) to Sell Motorola Handset Business to Huawei – Report (English article)

◙ NetEase (Nasdaq: NTES) Accuses Tencent (HKEx: 700) of Copying News (Chinese article)

◙ 360Buy Launches Online Real Estate Business (English article)

◙ Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ) Launches Reseller Program for the EMEA Region (PRNewswire)

◙ Wal-mart (NYSE: WMT) International Focusing on Existing Markets (English article)

◙ Latest calendar for Q1 earnings reports (Earnings calendar)

Google Tussles With China on Motorola 延迟批准摩托罗拉移动交易 中国政府对谷歌仍心存芥蒂

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Leaders in Beijing seem to be holding a long grudge against Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), following its high-profile withdrawal from the China market in 2010 after a dispute over self-censorship policies. That’s the only conclusion I can draw from the latest news in this stormy relationship, which has seen China emerge as the lone major country that has yet to approve Google’s pending purchase of Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI), the faded giant that was once the world’s second largest cellphone maker. All major governments have approved the deal announced last August, in what looks to me like an easy call for most anti-monopoly regulators as Google doesn’t make cellphones and Motorola Mobility is now just a relatively small player in the competitive space anyhow. But for some reason, China’s anti-monopoly regulator has not only failed to approve the deal more than half a year after it was first announced, but has actually said it will need extra time to make a decision. (Chinese article) Exactly why the Chinese regulator needs so much time to make what should be a relatively easy decision is hard for me to determine, which is why I can only guess that Beijing still harbors some bad feelings towards Google. Readers will recall that Google made global headlines in 2010 with its departure from China, which cast a spotlight on the self-policing that all web sites are forced to do under Chinese law to eliminate sensitive content from their sites, creating lots of negative global publicity for Beijing. Since then, China has dragged its feet in a number of decisions relating to Google. First it delayed before finally approving a renewal of the registration for Google’s China Internet domain, Google.cn; and more recently it has sparred with Google over the licensing of its mapping service in China, which is reportedly still awaiting final approval. (previous post) I previously said I thought Beijing and Google had moved past their bad feelings from the 2010 dispute, but perhaps some conflict still remains. Still, I do believe that both sides realize they need each other and can’t really afford  to fight too much, as Google’s Android is now the world’s most popular smartphone operating system and China is the world’s largest mobile market. There’s also an interesting side element to this story which may not even be Google-related, in that Motorola’s sale of its networking equipment business last year to Nokia Siemens Networks also ran into repeated unexplained delays in approval from China last year. Then the deal was suddenly approved after an unrelated patent dispute between Motorola and Huawei was settled, leading some, myself included, to suspect the 2 actions were related. (previous post) It’s hard to say if there might be a similar related element this time as none is apparent; but hopefully China has learned by now that its approval of major global M&A shouldn’t be tied to unrelated matters.

Bottom line: China’s delays in approving Google’s purchase of Motorola Mobility point to lingering distrust by Beijing towards Google.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Google: Getting Mapped Out of China? 谷歌地图：会退出中国市场吗？

◙ Google Map Impasse Resolved With New JV 谷歌地图风波解决

◙ Troublesome Timing As China Approves NSN-Motorola 中国监管部门批准诺基亚西门子购买摩托罗拉网络业务时机不佳

News Digest: March 20, 2012 报摘： 2012年3月20日

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The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on March 20. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.

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◙ Google’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI) Buy Still Awaits China Approval (Chinese article)

◙ China Increases Fuel Prices for Second Time in Two Months After Crude Gain (English article)

◙ NEC (HKEx: 6701) Releases Smartphone, Tablets in China (English article)

◙ Vancl CFO Resigns, IPO Shelved for at Least 2 Years – Source (Chinese article)

◙ LDK Solar (NYSE: LDK) Revises Q4 Guidance, Announces Q4 Reporting Date, 2012 Outlook (PRNewswire)

◙ Latest calendar for Q4 earnings reports (Earnings calendar)

Baidu: Addicted to Piracy 百度：沉溺于盗版

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Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) may be China’s undisputed Internet search leader, but new reports circulating about an abrupt collapse of talks over a new video partnership illustrate just how dependent this company is on less-than-ethical business practices like piracy and stealth advertising for its rapid growth. Chinese media are reporting that Baidu has ended discussions that would have brought online video to its service through a new partnership with LeTV (Shenzhen: 300104) after Baidu refused to LeTV’s condition that it eliminate pirated video from its video search site results. (English article) While other major Internet sites seem to be making a real effort to eliminate pirated music, video and other copyrighted material from their sites, Baidu has made some high-profile announcements to try to convince people it is making similar moves, while quietly allowing pirating activity to continue unabated on its sites. The company announced a major new initiative last year to offer legal music over its site in a tie-up with several major record labels, only to add it had no plans to simultaneously close its older popular music sharing site where piracy is so rampant that the major global music labels filed a lawsuit against Baidu several years back. (previous post) This latest development just underscores how addicted Baidu is to piracy, one factor that has helped it to triumph in the domestic search market over global players like Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO), ,which actively police their sites to keep off pirated material. This addiction to piracy is just one of Baidu’s less-than-ethical practices. The other big one is its reported willingness to manipulate search results for anyone willing to pay for such services. That includes not only giving advertisers high placement in search results without telling web surfers that such high placement was paid for, but also reportedly other things like conveniently removing negative news from search results for any individual or company that is willing to pay. So why does Baidu engage in such practices when clearly they go against international standards? The answer is simple: because it can, and because such practices are one of the main drivers for the high growth rates have made Baidu stock a darling of investors. I have no doubt that Baidu will continue to engage in such practices, and a smart, well-funded competitor like Google or Tencent (HKEx: 700) should take advantage of the situation to launch a campaign to inform the public and steal some of Baidu’s traffic. But that looks unlikely to happen anytime soon, meaning Baidu will continue with its current practices for the foreseeable future until someone — be it consumers, a rival or the government — finally steps in and says “enough is enough”.

Bottom line: The break-up of talks for a online video tie-up between Baidu and LeTV underscores Baidu’s dependence on piracy as a major driver of traffic to its site.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ After Years, Baidu Does the Right Thing 百度多年来的一个正确之举

◙ Baidu Video Tries Blockbuster Licensing

◙ Baidu Comes Under Government Fire 政府“修理”百度

Alibaba: Let’s Get This Show Finished 阿里巴巴和雅虎赶紧“离婚”吧

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Let’s get this story finished and move on! I don’t mean to sound impatient, but that’s my first reaction on reading the latest reports about Alibaba’s endless saga in its quest to buy out the 40 percent stake in itself held by Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO). I realize this deal involves a big amount of money, possibly as much as $10 billion, but that said, it’s also quite straightforward since the 2 companies have essentially no shared assets and thus literally all that’s needed is agreement on a price and then for Alibaba to find the financing. According to the latest reports, Alibaba and Yahoo have finally entered into serious discussions, following Yahoo’s naming of a new CEO last month, and the 2 sides fully expect to reach an agreement by mid March. (Chinese article) I personally can’t wait until they  announce a deal, as it will finally mark the end of a major corporate marriage that started with lots of promise, only to see things sour and end with a divorce that has taken way too long to reach. I’m probably being a little unfair here, as a final deal was unlikely to happen until Yahoo finally named a new CEO to replace Carol Bartz, who was a major source of friction between the 2 companies and whose firing last year finally set in process that will finally see Alibaba get its long-sought divorce. From Alibaba’s perspective, the sooner the settlement comes the better, as the divorce has become way too big a distraction as the company hopped from one crisis to the next at many of its core businesses last year, including its oldest B2B Alibaba.com (HKEx: 1688) site and its promising Taobao Mall, both of which were rocked by scandals that they are still recovering from. For its part, Yahoo also needs to put this story behind it and get to work trying to resuscitate its struggling search business, once a pioneer in the sector but which later lost its way as global giant Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) stole most of its business. A final settlement will not only end the hostilities, but will also leave Yahoo with a nice pile of cash to use to rebuild its business. It will also leave Alibaba with a pile of shares it can sell to more passive investors who are interested in its strong growth potential without wanting a strong say in its bigger management decisions. All that said, my final word to both sides, at least for now is: Let’s really try to end this saga by the mid-March deadline. Believe me, you won’t be the only ones celebrating!

Bottom line: The world will celebrate with Alibaba and Yahoo when they finally finish their divorce, ending an unhappy chapter for both companies that dragged on way too long.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Yahoo, Alibaba Dance Nears Finale　　雅虎应与阿里巴巴撇清干系

◙ New Loan Brings Alibaba Value Into Focus

◙ Alibaba Scrambles to Prove High Valuation 阿里巴巴高估值或将作茧自缚