A trio of cross-border news bits is highlighting the complexities in the China-US trade relationship, where accusations of cybersyping from both sides have raised tensions and threatened to derail business dealings in the sensitive high-tech space. All 3 news bits involve tech giant IBM (NYSE: IBM), which was one of the earliest and most active US tech firms to come to China, and thus stands to lose the most from recent tensions. Two of the headlines look relatively positive, including China’s approval of a multibillion-dollar M&A deal and IBM’s launch of a major new business initiative. The third looks more ominous, and has a top lender preparing to ditch its IBM servers in favor of homegrown products in a shift that looks highly political.
Lenovo’s IBM, Motorola buys come under the microscope
A month after word first emerged that Lenovo’s (HKEx: 992) mega-deal to buy IBM’s (NYSE: IBM) low-end server business was running into political headwinds, Lenovo is coming out and directly saying it expects to close the deal by the end of the year. Some of my sources near IBM are giving a similar message, even after a top Lenovo executive said last month that the ongoing cybersecurity spat between Beijing and Washington could derail the deal. Lenovo is also saying it expects to close its separate purchase of Motorola Mobility in the same time frame, marking the first time I’ve ever seen anyone imply that the purchase of that company from Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) might face any political headwinds. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 5-7. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ) Sinks 32 Pct As Audit Panel Heads Resigns (English article)
US ‘Concerned’ About Being Barred From GSK-linked (London: GSK) China Trial (English article)
Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) Leases 800 Square Meter Office In Beijing Central Business District (Chinese article)
China Approves Lenovo (HKEx: 992), IBM (NYSE: IBM) $2.3 Bln Server Deal (English article)
QVOD Abandons Old Address, Registers Under New Name (Chinese article)
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 3. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Xiaomi Says Smartphone Shipments Almost Quadruple In First Half (English article)
Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) Appoints New China President (English article)
Lenovo (HKEx: 992) Expects IBM, Mobility Deals To Be Completed By Year End (English article)
Chinese workers who quit their jobs at IBM (NYSE: IBM) this spring rather than take new positions at Lenovo (HKEx: 992) under an M&A deal may be regretting their decision, with word that the deal may derail due to US national security concerns. Of course I’m being just a tad facetious with my comment about the former IBM workers, but I’m quite serious about the doubts that are suddenly swirling around the deal announced early this year for IBM to sell its low-end server business to Lenovo. The latest reports are a bit more neutral, though I would now give the deal just a 50 percent chance of getting clearance from the US national security regulator. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on June 5. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Lenovo (HKEx: 992), IBM Said to Seek Extension in U.S. Review of Deal (English article)
Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) Announces Offering Of $150 Mln In Convertible Notes (PRNewswire)
Tencent (HKEx: 700) in Talks to Acquire Lottery Firm LotySynergy (HKEx: 1371) (English article)
As IPO Nears, Alibaba Preps Employees For $40 Bln Windfall (English article)
NQ Mobile (NYSE: NQ) Probe Turns Up No Problems After Short Seller Attack (Chinese article)
The latest reports that Beijing is pressuring Chinese banks to stop using high-end servers from computing giant IBM (NYSE: IBM) don’t come as a huge surprise, amid escalating tensions between China and the US over cyber spying. This particular development is just the latest in a series of similar moves that dates back to last year, when Beijing began quietly pressuring many big state-run firms to stop using US tech products following revelations from the Edward Snowden cyber-spying scandal. The ironic element of Beijing’s anti-foreign tech campaign is that it could actually make the nation’s technology networks and systems even more vulnerable to spying, since most domestic products are far less sophisticated than their foreign counterparts. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on May 28. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Tencent (HKEx: 700) In Clean-Up Of WeChat “Moments”, Public Accounts (Chinese article)
Ford (NYSE: F) Automotive Finance (China) Completes First ABS Transaction in China (Businesswire)
A time of year typically known for labor unrest is taking a worrisome twist, with major new strikes occurring at top microwave oven maker Galanz and shoe making giant Yue Yuen (HKEx: 551), whose clients include Nike and Adidas. These latest signs of labor unrest in the important Pearl Delta manufacturing hub come just weeks after workers staged another strike at an IBM (NYSE: IBM) factory being sold to Chinese PC leader Lenovo (HKEx: 992). The fact that these industry leaders are seeing such major problems so early in the year hints at even bigger problems for smaller factories, which are struggling under the weight of soaring costs and sagging export orders. Read Full Post…
The latest developments in an ongoing strike at an IBM (NYSE: IBM) plant in Shenzhen are highlighting the big gap that still exists between Chinese companies and their western peers in terms of attractiveness as employers. In the latest twist to the story, half of the workers at the south China plant have decided to accept severance packages and quit their jobs rather than go to work for Chinese PC giant Lenovo (HKEx: 992), which is set to take over the plant as part of its purchase of IBM’s low-end server business for $2.3 billion. (Chinese article) Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on March 13. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Half Of IBM (NYSE: IBM) Workers Quit At Shenzhen Plant, 20 Fired (Chinese article)
Tencent (HKEx: 700) In Talks to Purchase Handset Manufacturer – Sources (English article)
Vipshop (NYSE: VIPS) Prices $550 Mln Convertible Notes, 1.14 Mln ADSs (PRNewswire)
Coke (NYSE: KU) Worries Over Draft Law On Bottled Water Labeling (Chinese article)
Home Inns (Nasdaq: HMIN) Reports Q4, Full Year 2013 Results (PRNewswire)
