The axiom that history repeats itself certainly seems to be true for fast-sinking Taiwanese PC maker Acer (Taipei: 2353), which has just announced the resignation of its chairman J.T. Wang. In the meantime, the region’s other top PC maker Lenovo (HKEx: 992) was probably wishing for a repeat of history, hoping that its successful purchase of IBM’s (NYSE: IBM) PC business in 2005 would be repeated with a recent bid for dying smartphone pioneer BlackBerry (Toronto: BB). But instead, media are reporting that Lenovo never bothered to make a formal bid for BlackBerry, after being told that such a deal would be blocked by Ottawa due to national security concerns. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on November 8. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
iPhone Re-enters Top 5 In China Smartphone Market Share In Q3 (Chinese article)
Lenovo (HKEx: 992) Announces Fiscal Year Interim Results (HKEx announcement)
The microblogging realm has been buzzing these past few days with speculation on a brief China visit late last week by Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Chairman Eric Schmidt, who checked out counterfeit goods at a gadget market in Beijing’s Zhongguancun high-tech area. Equally interesting was the inclusion in Schmidt’s group of 2 former Google executives who now work for Xioami, the fast-rising smartphone maker that hopes to someday become China’s equivalent of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on November 7. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Smithfield Owner Shuanghui Hires Banks For Up To $6 Bln HK IPO (English article)
Suntech (NYSE: STP) Files Application For Provisional Liquidation (PRNewswire)
Alibaba Won’t Seek Banking License For Now – Microlending CEO (Chinese article)
Canada Govt Blocks Lenovo (HKEx: 992) From BlackBerry Bid Over Security – Report (Chinese article)
A trio of Chinese tech firms with global dreams is taking a page from the western marketing playbook, signing a recent series of celebrity and sports team endorsements aimed at winning over US and European consumers. Such a strategy looks smart, and could help ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063), Lenovo (HKEx: 992) and Huawei shed their image as Chinese firms and look more international as they try to sell their smartphones to the west. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on November 2-4. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Qunar (Nasdaq: QUNR) Doubles In Debut As Chinese Stocks Make US Comeback (English article)
Lenovo (HKEx: 992) To Enter US Handset Market (English article)
China Construction Bank (HKEx: 939) Buys 76 Pct Of BicBanko For $720 Mln (HKEx announcement)
PPTV Won’t Enter Smart TV After Suning (Shenzhen: 002024) Investment – CEO (Chinese article)
Canadian Solar (Nasdaq: CSIQ) In 100MW Supply Deal With 3 Gorges New Energy (PRNewswire)
I usually have more criticism than praise for China’s bureaucratic telecoms regulator, but today I have to commend the Ministry of Industry and InformationTechnology (MIIT) for a ground-breaking move that other countries would be wise to follow in the fast-moving smartphone space. That move will require smartphone makers to list all the apps that come pre-installed on their models, much the way that food makers list the ingredients that their products contain. While the move looks good for consumers and the industry’s overall development, smartphone makers are unlikely to embrace this measure that will tell consumers about all the unwanted and often invasive apps that come included on their new smartphones. Read Full Post…
Lenovo compliments Huawei on Italy smartphone push
China’s microblogging sphere is buzzing with a series of new posts that hint at a couple of budding friendships in the nation’s tech realm, one between smartphone aspirants Huawei and Lenovo (HKEx: 992) and the other between e-commerce titan Alibaba and online search leader Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU). Of course it’s quite possible that the tweeting is just casual conversation by company executives on their Weibo accounts. But both instances also hint at the potential for future tie-ups that could help these all 4 of these companies attain their different strategic aims. Read Full Post…
China smartphone market quickly becoming saturated
Let’s end the week with a look at some new data on China’s cellphone market, which is quickly becoming saturated with cheap smartphones cranked out by a crowded field of domestic companies. The rush by Chinese firms into the smartphone market over the last 2 years is typical of the herd mentality one often sees in China, almost always leading to classic boom-bust cycles. The smartphone sector was already showing signs of overheating when media reported during the summer that inventory was building up at many smartphone makers. Now the latest figures are showing that sales are slowing sharply for many of those firms, hinting a bust could come soon for players that rely heavily on the domestic market. Read Full Post…
China’s unruly markets for emerging sectors are famous for Trojan Horses, which often come as hidden traps in many products and services that ultimately harm consumers. The nation’s tourism authority just launched a new law to eliminate such traps in the travel sector, and now we’re getting word that the telecoms regulator is preparing a similar move against hidden and sometimes malicious apps that often come pre-installed on many new smartphones. This new crackdown will help to rid the market of such unwanted apps, such as ones that provide users’ personal data to third-parties without the users’ knowledge or consent. But the move could also ultimately drive up smartphone prices and perhaps even drive some companies out of business. Read Full Post…
International board finds new life in Shanghai Free Trade Zone
I’ve avoided writing about the new Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ) up until now, despite exhaustive coverage in both domestic and international media. But now I’m lifting my informal ban, following new reports saying the FTZ could soon host a proposed but long-stalled international board where foreign companies could list their shares in China. Such a development would be quite exciting, as it could finally allow big names like China Mobile (HKEx: 941; NYSE: CHL) and Lenovo (HKEx: 992), which are technically based overseas, to finally make their shares accessible to investors in China. Read Full Post…
