The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 10-12. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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After 9 Years, Tesco (London: TSCO) Gives Up On Cracking China Alone (English article)
China To Let Banks Sell Off Loans In Prelude To Possible Bailout (English article)
China’s Largest Investment Bank CICC In Early Step Towards IPO – Report (English article)
Xiaomi Raises 2013 Handset Sales Projection to 20 Mln Units (English article)
Samsung Leads China Smartphone Market, Apple Drops out of Top 5 (English article)
Global auto giant General Motors’ (GM) (NYSE: GM) announcement of a major adjustment to its international corporate structure last week demonstrated its commitment to China, grabbing headlines and winning goodwill from Chinese consumers and Beijing. The move reflects a broader savvy policy of big investments and other corporate actions designed to highlight the importance of the market for GM, a strategy that others like Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) should follow to boost their prospects in China. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 3-5. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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GM (NYSE: GM) Splits China From International Unit, Hires Former Volvo CEO (English article)
China Starts Website To Refute Rumors As Scrutiny Grows (English article)
Apple’s Cook back in China to put out latest fires
The US may be one of the world’s most competitive markets, but tech giant Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) is quickly discovering that fast-growing China is far more complex for a wide range of reasons that are often more political than economic. CEO Tim Cook was in Beijing this week to address some of those issues, in what looks like a hastily arranged trip to put out a growing number of fires facing his firm in the world’s largest smartphone market. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 31. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) CEO Cook Visits China Telcos As iPhone Sales Drop (Chinese article)
Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) Weibo, Alibaba to Launch Social E-Commerce Platform (English article)
Suntech (NYSE: STP) Adds 2 New Board Members (PRNewswire)
Glaxo (London: GSK) Sacks 100 Chinese Sales Reps in Bribery Case (English article)
Huace Film (Shenzhen: 300133) To Buy Croton Media for 1.65 Bln Yuan (English article)
As if its China troubles weren’t bad enough following a weak earnings report, global tech giant Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) is now coming under political fire from central bureaucrats in Beijing for failing to deliver promised donations after an earthquake earlier this year. Frankly speaking, I don’t have a lot of sympathy for Apple or any of the other firms that get this kind of criticism, since I find their quickness to announce donations after any major disaster somewhat insincere and largely a publicity ploy. But the fact that yet another foreign firm is coming under attack from central government sources this month certainly adds to my previous assertions that Beijing has recently embarked on a drive to discredit foreign firms and divert attention from other domestic problems. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 26. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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I’ve been reporting on China’s cellphone market long enough to know that change can come suddenly and without much warning, and that a superstar one day might be struggling for survival just a year or two later. Such transformations often come in waves, and it appears the newest shake-up could be coming as consumers start to shun prestigious high-end smartphones in favor of booming lower-end models that perform many of the same functions for a fraction of the price. China’s slowing economy could cause the trend to accelerate, since many consumers are now looking for ways to cut back their spending due to uncertainty about the future. Read Full Post…
After writing earlier this week that reports of a new TV product from homegrown smartphone maker Xiaomi appeared to be a genuine news leak, I may have to revise my opinion following yet another leak saying the company is preparing to launch a tablet PC. Before I go any further with my discussion on this latest news leak, I should say that the marketing savvy Xiaomi is becoming increasingly boring and predictable in my view, as it appears to simply be copying the entire product line of its role model, US tech giant Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). Read Full Post…
China’s regulators have never been known for moving fast on anything, and that case seems to apply even more when it comes to allowing foreign players into emerging markets like third-party payment services. More than 2 years after China began awarding licenses for its domestic companies to offer such, foreign companies are still waiting for equal rights in the lucrative domestic market. But now US e-commerce giant eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) is saying it could soon become the first foreign licensee to enter the market, providing both a big opportunity but also a major challenge as it seeks to catch up to Chinese rivals with more than a 2-year head-start. Read Full Post…
Media are all abuzz that trendy smartphone maker Xiaomi may be preparing to launch an Internet TV, after a photo was leaked showing boxes of the packaging for such a product in a warehouse. Of course it’s always possible the photos are doctored and were created by someone trying to stir up gossip about this up-and-coming company co-founded by the marketing savvy Lei Jun. But I’ve had a look at the photo, which features stacks of boxes with the words “Xioami TV – L47M1-AA 47-inch” printed on them, and have to say the pictures look authentic, meaning the rumors may be true. (English article; Chinese article) Read Full Post…
