The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on October 10. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Lenovo (HKEx: 992) In Talks To Acquire HTC (Taipei: 2498) – Report (English article)
Ctrip (Nasdaq: CTRP) Announces Proposed Offer Of $500 Mln Convertible Notes (PRNewswire)
I want to mark this week’s return to work for most of China with a look at 3 new foreign partnerships announced over the past week, 1 each involving home appliance maker Haier (Shanghai: 600690), the Twitter-like Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) Weibo and telecoms equipment maker ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063). All 3 of the tie-ups are different in nature, but they do look innovative and encouraging and should have positive implications for each company’s future development. Read Full Post…
Embattled telecoms equipment makers Huawei and ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063) have scored a victory in the US with a new trade ruling in their favor, providing an important show that they can get fair treatment in the market. But that win is largely symbolic, since Washington has already informally banned the import of the technology at the heart of the trade dispute. Instead of US trade barriers, it seems the true enemy of both Huawei and ZTE could be slowing growth, with media quoting a Huawei executive saying the company only expects to post average growth of 10 percent over the next 5 years. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on September 13. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Local media are buzzing with word that China’s telecoms regulator has just approved 4 smartphones for use on the nation’s upcoming 4G networks, implying the long-awaited issue of 4G licenses could be imminent. But equally interesting is a separate report that says the number of newly approved phones is actually 5, and that the fifth phone was a version of Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) new iPhone 5S that can operate on networks using a homegrown Chinese technology called TD. That report says Apple requested its iPhone approval be kept secret; but if true, it means we could soon see announcement of a long-awaited tie-up between the US tech giant and leading Chinese mobile carrier China Mobile (HKEx: 941; NYSE: CHL). Read Full Post…
WeChat scores a hit in HK, Taiwan but could face resistance in US
I’ve been traveling through Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau these last few days, so thought I’d end the week with a look at Tencent’s (HKEx: 700) hugely popular WeChat mobile messaging service and the challenges it faces in its quest to go global and commercialize. I’ve been quite surprised by how widespread WeChat, known in Chinese as Weixin, has become in all 3 of these Chinese-speaking areas. But at the same time, comments from one of my industry friends also indicate Tencent could face an uphill battle winning acceptance in the US, where it could face heavy competition from rival products and skepticism due to its China connections. New media reports also indicate WeChat’s hyped new relationship with China Merchants Bank (HKEx: 3968; Shanghai: 600036) may also be running into problems, indicating the road to commercialization may not be as smooth as Tencent had hoped. Read Full Post…
China’s award of more than half of a massive new telecoms contract to domestic firms despite strong competition from global rivals sends a bad signal for Beijing’s commitment to fair trade, appearing to show that political factors play a significant role in such commercial decisions.
While it’s understandable that China wants to support its homegrown firms in their quest to become global leaders, such favoritism could easily lead to complaints by foreigners who feel they open their markets to Chinese products but don’t receive reciprocal treatment. This current case is especially sensitive, since the European Union already suspects Chinese telecoms equipment makers like Huawei, ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063) and Datang of getting unfair state support through policies like government grants and tax credits. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 24-26. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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Huawei, ZTE (HKEx: 763) Win Bulk Of China Mobile’s $3 Bln 4G Bonanza (English article)
Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) Invests In Renren’s (NYSE: RENN) Nuomi (PRNewswire)
Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) To Open 4th Shanghai Store Before Oct 1 Holiday – Report (Chinese article)
Electric Carmaker Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) Hits Roadblock In China Over Trademark (English article)
China Commerce Ministry Warns Auto Makers Over Price Monopoly (English article)
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 22. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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New China Trust Pulls Out Of $4.8 Bln AIG Unit Bid: Source (English article)
YiChat Mobile IM Users Reach 1 Mln In First Day Of Launch (English article)
ZTE (HKEx: 763) Forecasts Profit in First 9 Months of 2013 In Earnings Rebound (Businesswire)
Vancl In Talks For $200 Mln New Funding Round (Chinese article)
Suning (Shenzhen: 002024) Applies for Banking License (English article)
I’ve been saying for a while now that China’s booming smartphone market will undergo a major correction soon due to huge oversupply, and now we’re starting to see the first signs of stress from 2 major players. Among domestic manufacturers, media are reporting that struggling giant ZTE (HKEx: 763; Shenzhen: 000063) is preparing an overhaul of its handset business to improve its performance in China. Meantime, faded Taiwanese superstar HTC (Taipei: 2498) is also announcing its own major overhaul and making bold predictions about its plans to become a top player in China. Read Full Post…
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on August 21. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
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China Mobile (HKEx: 941) On Cusp Of Deal To Sell iPhone By Year End (Chinese article)
Alibaba In Talks With HKEx On Ownership Structure Ahead Of IPO-Sources (English article)
ZTE (HKEx: 763) To Reorganize Handset Business (English article)
Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) Announces Q2 Results (PRNewswire)
Qihoo 360, Sogou Search Traffic Share Up 1 Percentage Pt In July (English article)
