The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on November 26. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Tencent (HKEx: 700) To Air HBO In China As Govt Shuts Down Free Sites (English article)
Bottom line: Google is likely to get Beijing’s permission to open a China version of its app store that could launch next year, paving the way for the roll-out of its smartphones in the market.
Google eyes China app store
A flurry of new reports are saying that global Internet giant Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) is planning to re-enter China by opening an app store there, in what would be a major strategic turnaround for the company. The real story of Google in China is quite complex, and to say it withdrew from the market in 2010 after a high profile spat with Beijing over censorship is quite an oversimplification. The more accurate story is one that’s seen Google diversify from its core desktop-based Internet services to an increasingly mobile portfolio that also includes a growing hardware component. That hardware element of its diversification could well be the focal point for a new China foray if the latest reports about Google’s plan to open a China app store are true. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on November 5. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) Announces September Quarter 2014 Results (Businesswire)
Nissan (Tokyo: 7201) Cuts Global Sales Outlook On China Slowdown (English article)
China’s PICC P&C (HKEx: 2328) Plans To Raise $1.2 Bln In Rights Offer (English article)
Qatar Investment Authority, Citic Group Set Up $10 Bln Investment Fund (Chinese article)
Former Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) Exec Chen Tong Joins Xiaomi Content Team (Chinese article)
Bottom line: Hugo Barra’s remarks in defense of criticism that his employer Xiaomi copies Apple’s designs could mark the start of a longer-term war of words that could end in one or more lawsuits by Apple.
Barra defends Xiaomi’s copycat ways
A trans-Pacific war of words that began with critical remarks made by Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) chief designer 2 weeks ago is continuing, with the foreign face of Chinese smartphone sensation Xiaomi giving fresh remarks on the copycat controversy in his company’s defense. The comments from Xiaomi’s international marketing head Hugo Barra are a bit lame in my view, and I really doubt he would have made such remarks last year when he was still a rising star at global Internet giant Google (Nasdaq: GOOG). Read Full Post…
China’s bloody smartphone price wars could soon claim their first victim, with word of massive price cuts from Smartisan, a highbrow brand that launched earlier this year with backing from a well-known personality. Despite its relatively late arrival to the crowded space, Smartisan has gotten surprisingly strong media attention since its launch in May, though not all of it has been positive.
One of the company’s main backers is Luo Yonghao, whose name is well known to many young Chinese professionals due to his popular series of English language instructional tapes. Just months after its launch, Smartisan made news after admitting it was experiencing production problems due to capacity bottlenecks. Last month the company also made a minor splash when Luo got in a high-profile online spat with an influential gadget critic who wasn’t impressed by Smartisan’s models.
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on October 28. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Smartisan Cuts Prices By 1,000 Yuan, Smartphones To Start At 1,980 Yuan (Chinese article)
China Telecom (HKEx: 728) 4G Coverage To Reach 100 Cities By Next Year (Chinese article)
ZTE (HKEx: 763) Mobile Devices Q3 2014 Revenue Up by 40 Pct Year-on-Year (Businesswire)
Mobile SNS App ‘Blink’ Completes $20 Mln Series A Funding (English article)
Youku (NYSE: YOKU) Looks To US For Videos To Stream To Chinese Users (English article)
Ripples from Hewlett-Packard’s (NYSE: HPQ) decision to break itself into 2 companies are being felt in China, with word that HP is looking for someone to buy a majority stake in its China-based router division. I can immediately think of 2 Chinese firms that would be interested in the stake, namely homegrown networking equipment giant Huawei and also leading PC maker Lenovo (HKEx: 992).
China’s second largest networking equipment maker ZTE (HKEx: 763; NYSE: 000063) could also be interested, even though it doesn’t have a past record for major acquisitions. There’s also the chance that one of Europe’s major networking equipment makers might be interested, with Ericsson (Stockholm: ERICb) or Nokia (Helsinki: NOK1V) as the most likely choices. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on October 24. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════
30 Pct Of Traditional Retail Stores To Close In Future – Suning VP (Chinese article)
Facebook’s (Nasdaq: FB) Zuckerberg Says To Start Hiring In China Next Year (Chinese article)
New sales data for August is showing that China’s cellphone market is rapidly cooling due to saturation, putting even more pressure on domestic brands that have engaged in a battle for share that has resulted in plummeting prices. At the same time, a separate report is showing that mobile advertising is zooming, in a development that’s almost certain to mean big headaches for companies like Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) and Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) that depend heavily on advertisers that traditionally targeted desktop PC users. The pair of trends both cast a spotlight on how quickly things can change in the tech and media landscapes, putting huge pressure on established companies to innovate and spend heavily to translate their leadership into emerging areas. Read Full Post…
After fraying under a steady stream of disputes over the last 2 years, China-Western trade relations took a much-needed turn for the better last week with new reports showing that Beijing and its major trading partners were taking constructive steps to reduce the tensions. Two reports indicated Beijing will take steps to reduce some of the government support it gives to emerging high-tech industries, addressing a sore spot in its trade relations with the west. Read Full Post…
A new cloud computing tie-up between US networking equipment giant Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) and leading Chinese TV maker TCL (HKEx: 1070; Shenzhen: 000100) caught my attention more due to its broader implications for both companies rather than the modest size of the actual investment. The deal comes as Cisco is facing difficulties in China, the direct result of an ongoing spat between Washington and Beijing over cyber security. At the same time, it also represents the latest in a string of recent signals that TCL is eying some new global alliances, a decade after 2 high-profile tie-ups with other western partners ended in disaster. Read Full Post…
